Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many and what proportion of recipients of the Personal Independence Payment daily living component scored fewer than four points on all of the descriptors on which they qualified across the ten activities, broken down by (1) gender of the recipient, (2) age of the recipient, including those of working age and over pension age, and (3) main condition type.

The proportion of people in receipt of Personal Independence Payment with the Daily Living component who were awarded fewer than four points in all daily living activities is readily available as part of the Pathways to Work Evidence Pack in Chapter 2.

(https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/pathways-to-work-reforming-benefits-and-support-to-get-britain-working-green-paper).

The figures are broken down by the gender of the claimants in table 2.23, in which 39% of males and 52% of females scored fewer than four points on any daily living activity.

The figures are broken down by the age of the claimants in table 2.21. However, this table only includes statistics for working age claimants. For claimants over state pension age, 58% scored fewer than four points in all daily living activities. Claimants currently over state pension age are not routinely reviewed and will be unaffected by the proposals outlined in the Pathways to Work Green Paper.

The figures are broken down by the primary condition group of the claimants in table 2.22.

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 lose PIP. It is important to make a clear distinction between the two, not least because we do not want people to be unnecessarily fearful about their situation, when we understand many are already anxious.

No one will lose access to PIP immediately. The changes, subject to parliamentary approval, would be brought in from November 2026. After that date, no one will lose PIP without first being reassessed by a trained assessor or healthcare professional, who assesses individual needs and circumstance. Reassessments happen on average every 3 years. Someone who did not score 4 points in an activity in a previous assessment may well score 4 points in a future assessment – not least as many conditions tend to get worse, not better, over time. The OBR has taken into account expected behavioural changes in its numbers and determined that 370,000 (1 in 10) current PIP recipients may lose entitlement by 29/30 at their next award review after changes to PIP eligibility come into effect in November 2026.

Even with these reforms, the overall number of people on PIP is expected to rise by 750,000 by the end of this parliament and spending will rise from £23bn in 24/25 to £31bn in 29/30.