Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of PIP claims are fraudulent; how many existing PIP claimants are expected to lose their allowance as a result of proposed changes to limit eligibility to those scoring at least four points on one domain; and what data her Department holds on how PIP claimants are spending their allowance for people who are (a) in work and (b) not in work.

Information on Fraud and Error in the Benefit System, including Personal Independence Payment, is published here.

Information on the impacts changes to PIP have been published here: Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill publications - Parliamentary Bills - UK Parliament.

We will be making changes so no one currently on PIP will lose PIP as a result of the four-point change. The four point eligibility requirement will be implemented from November 2026 for new claims only, subject to Parliamentary approval.

The number of people currently on PIP who did not score 4 points in one category in their last assessment should not be equated with the number who are likely to not to be awarded the daily living component of PIP in future. Our intention is that changes will start to come into effect from November 2026, subject to parliamentary approval. After that date, people already in receipt of PIP will continue to be treated under the current rules, with only new claimants having the new criterion applied. As a result of behavioural responses to the change, we expect that a higher proportion of new claimants will score 4 points against at least one activity than happens currently.

We are consulting on how best to support those who are affected by the new eligibility changes, including ensuring health and care needs are met. We have also announced a wider review of the PIP assessment to make it fair and fit for purpose, which I am leading. We are bringing together a range of experts, stakeholders and people with lived experience to consider how best to do this. We will provide further details as plans progress

Information on how claimants spend their benefit is published in The Uses of Health and Disability Benefits, and, for a subset in receipt of the Support Group rate of Employment and Support Allowance and its Universal Credit equivalent, in chapter 3.4 of The work aspirations and support needs of claimants in the ESA Support Group and Universal Credit equivalent.