More Trouble for Disability  Benefits as New DWP Changes Shake Up Hopes and Spark Legal Fears

Legal experts are raising serious concerns about recent changes made to Personal Independence Payment (PIP), a key disability benefit managed by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). These changes, announced as part of the government’s overhaul of benefits, could face legal action soon.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves recently shared her Spring Statement, where she confirmed that some benefits, including PIP, will face cuts. These cuts involve making the rules stricter for who can claim PIP and freezing payment amounts, meaning they won’t rise with inflation.

Experts in the legal field believe these changes might break the law, especially if they are found to unfairly affect people with disabilities. Daniel McAfee, who leads Legal Operations at Lawhive, said that tightening the rules around who qualifies for PIP could lead to legal battles. He mentioned that the Equality Act 2010, which protects people with disabilities from discrimination, might be used to challenge these changes.

McAfee pointed out that people with mental health issues may find it harder to qualify under the new rules, as it’s difficult to measure conditions like anxiety or depression in a clear and consistent way. If the new system puts people with certain disabilities at a disadvantage, there may be a case for saying it’s unfair or discriminatory.

He also warned that freezing PIP payments could create more problems. Without adjusting for inflation, the value of the benefit goes down over time, making it harder for disabled people to afford the extra costs that PIP is meant to help with. This could be seen as failing to meet the government’s duty to support vulnerable groups fairly and reasonably.

If these changes lead to more hardship or struggle for disabled people, the government could face serious legal challenges. McAfee said that if the evidence shows real harm, lawyers could argue that the government acted without proper care or fairness.

In response to criticism, Rachel Reeves told Parliament that her party believes in supporting people who are unable to work while encouraging those who can work to do so. The government claims the current benefits system is broken and that too many people are being added to the PIP list every day.

However, the Resolution Foundation has warned that between 800,000 and 1.2 million people could lose their yearly PIP payments — which range from £4,200 to £6,300 — by the year 2029-30 because of these changes.

PIP is meant to help cover the extra costs of living with a disability or long-term health condition, regardless of someone’s job or how much money they have.

At the moment, people need to score between 8 and 11 points to get the standard level of support for daily tasks or mobility. A higher score gives more support. But from November 2026, people will need to show they have at least 4 points in one daily activity area, like washing, dressing, or eating, to get help.

These changes won’t affect current claimants right away. But they will impact people who reapply or are reassessed after the new rules begin.

The mobility support part of PIP will stay the same. Also, people whose conditions are permanent or getting worse won’t have to be reassessed as often — decisions will be made individually rather than based on a set list of conditions.

Another big change is that most assessments will now happen in person, rather than over the phone or online.

GB News has contacted the DWP for a response to the concerns raised.