The DWP announced earlier this month that it will extend the time between personal independence payment (PIP) assessments but that the number of work capability assessment (WCA) reassessments will increase, as will the proportion of face-to-face assessments.  The changes are expected to save £1.9 billion by the end of 2030/31.

The contract between assessment providers and the previous government required 80% of assessments to be completed virtually, primarily by telephone, leaving just 20% to be face-to-face.

However, Labour are now requiring the proportion of face-to-face assessments to be increased to 30% for both PIP and the WCA, rising from lows of 6% for PIP in 2024 and 13% for the WCA.

In order to achieve this, and deliver more WCA reassessments, the time between PIP reviews is to be extended for the majority of PIP claimants aged 25 and over, to a minimum of three years for a new claim, rising to 5 years at their next review if they remain entitled.

Claimants will still be able request an alternative form of assessment if their condition prevents them from travelling to an assessment centre.

The changes are due to take effect from April 2026.

The government have not made it clear how the £1.9 billion will be saved.

There are three potential sources of savings:

  • Reducing the number of PIP assessments will result in savings on assessment costs, but these will be at least partially offset by the increased cost of additional face-to-face assessments compared to telephone ones.
  • Reducing the number of claimants found to have limited capability for work-related activity (LCWRA), by increasing the number of WCA reassessments.
  • Reducing the number of PIP awards because, face-to-face assessments result in fewer awards than telephone assessments.  In 2024, the success rate for face-to-face PIP assessments was 44% compared to 57% for virtual assessments.

Benefits and Work has made a Freedom of Information request for a breakdown of where the £1.9 billion savings will come from.

More details about the changes to assessments are available here.

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  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 1 days ago
    Pointless to keep reassessing people to come up with the same answer. Surely a lifetime incurable illness is just a mental torture of the claimant to put them in an earlier grave. Try getting updated records today you can't see a specialist or GP near impossible. Myself I will fight until the end you learn a lot and best advice is don't trust a system that wants you off the books
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    · 3 days ago
    is there a guide published by this website on how to survive a face to face WCA reassessment?
    ANy kind of help/advice would do!

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    · 4 days ago
    I am receiving Scottish ADP but not mobility I am 67 this year and my reassessment is in October does that mean it will be sooner and face to face thank you
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    · 4 days ago
    My pip review is in 2032 ,so will be earlier with these changes ? My daughter on pip and had her review last September,  not due until April this year. Also I'm on new style esa and uc, since I migrated last Oct, this unemployment insurance is a worry.  My esa review was September last year when I was moved to the support group.
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      · 3 days ago
      @Timothy That is very interesting 
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    · 17 days ago
    What does the mean for people who have been awarded pip for 4 or 5 years. Ive now been awarded pip a few times, first for 3years then increased on last assessment. Also in support group for esa, will this have any affect on that? 

    Hope this makes sense. 

    Thanks
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 4 days ago
      @sara I dont seem to get notifications for replies on the comments section. 

      Im not entitled to UC or any other means tested benefits unfortunately. We could really be doing with it but my husbands circumstances on paper leaves me unable to claim. 

      I did enquire previously and as far as I understand as its new style / contributon based esa I shouldn't be asked to migrate. ( I hope) however im terrified about this talk of time limited health insurance
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 17 days ago
      @Arthritic Annie
      @Arthritic Annie Have you been asked to migrate to uc? You should be migrated from esa support to lcwra. You are getting pip, so provided you keep it at the next review, you should be able to continue to get uc lcwra/health element. Until the Timms review is complete, however, there is no clarity about how pip eligibility will change or whether/when existing claimants will be affected.

      You are as well placed as you can be for now, with esa support and the length of your pip having been extended. Best you can do is to keep your medical records up to date so you can verify your esa/uc lcwra/pip claims if/when they are reviewed/reassessed. Also, stay alert to announcements of eligibility changes so you are always prepared to justify your case.

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    · 18 days ago
    OK
    I'll admit, I am scared witless.
    I am so scared, don't sleep, because anxiety won't give way to exhaustion.
    I was 65 in Nov 25.
    I am in receipt of lcwra and my enhanced pip rate award ends Sept 2027. I officially retire July 2027.
    I don't know when to expect the dreaded envelope from dwp for reassessment, to drop through the letterbox.
    Already had the worry of the last year, from all the political parties, of their 'opinions' of the "challenges" disabled citizens face on a daily basis. 
    Their take being "get on with it, it's all in your mind, daily, excruciating pain isn't that difficult to live with, and you will find a job!"
    I don't understand why, if at 65 years old, if you are in constant daily pain, which will not improve, you are not allowed to claim the measly amount of basic state pension, if you wish, especially if you have already paid 35 yrs ni contributions, instead of claiming extra amounts of enhanced pip/lwrca, (which is more expensive for the government) if you are happy to do so. It would be less for the government to pay and I would be allowed to live my final years peacefully, without threats/constant assessments from DWP incompetents.
    Rant over.

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      · 3 days ago
      @Neil Cook Do I need to worry I'm m 64 this year x
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      · 7 days ago
      @Maggie You are nearly at Retirement age no need too worry.
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      · 18 days ago
      @Maggie My post was cut.

      @Maggie, there's a high chance there wont be time for new pip rules to be introduced before your review, so just get your evidence together like last time and you'll get an ongoing enhanced award because of being near or beyond pension age. 
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      · 18 days ago
      @Maggie There's a high chance there wont
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 19 days ago
    So will people with an ongoing pip award now have a face to face or still a light touch review via an AR2. Also will someone with Autism be likely to lose LWCRA when they are eventually reassessed on UC. 
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      · 13 days ago
      @John (although despite what the government says the eligibility criteria for severe conditions criteria has been changed so it can now not be awarded for people whose eligibility to LCWRA is due to substantial risk).

      Sorry, you are incorrect on this. The eligibility has NOT been changed and you can still get LCWRA on substantial risk.
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      · 18 days ago
      @John @John The way you suggest things should go for existing lcwra and ongoing pip daily living awards is the logical, sane and sensible outlook. However, phrases such as 'it is hoped they might' and 'they should in theory' suggest even you are afraid we cannot rely on that forecast, given what we know about the review panel's and the government's logic, sanity and sense.

      I cannot help but fear that, at any review, harsher criteria might be applied. It reassures me a little, though, when I reflect on the ferocity of protests against proposals for pip eligibility changes in the summer of this year, and this reminds me that we have always to be wary and ready for a fight, never allowing a government to put one over on us.
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 19 days ago
      @lollo1 There is no change for people with ongoing pip awards. They will remain on paper based light touch reviews once every ten years. A light touch review is not an assessment or reassessment for PIP. The primary purpose of a light touch review is just to check the claimant is still alive and that the contact details for the claimant are up to date. People with ongoing awards are expected to be on pip for life.

      While light touch reviews do not routinely trigger a reassessment. If a change is reported on the AR2 form it can trigger a reassessment if deemed necessary. Such a reassessment for people with ongoing PIP awards is very unlikely to cause a reduction or loss of PIP. And such a reassessment would only be face-to-face if deemed necessary. 70% of PIP assessments and reassessments are still going to be not face-to-face.

      Due to the backlog someone on UC LCWRA is unlikely to be reassessed unless their condition would be expected to have improved or they were awarded on grounds of substantial risk. Even in those cases it remains to be seen how many the DWP will actually get around to reassessing. The eligibility criteria used for LCWRA is not being changed and 70% of WCA will remain not face-face. So if their condition has not changed and they were reassessed they would most likely not have a face-to-face and would most likely get rewarded LCWRA. They might even get placed in the severe conditions criteria group, when reassessed (although despite what the government says the eligibility criteria for severe conditions criteria has been changed so it can now not be awarded for people whose eligibility to LCWRA is due to substantial risk).

      After the Timms PIP review reports in autumn 2026 the government plans to change the PIP assessment system to focus on the most severely disabled. People with ongoing PIP awards are hoped/expected to be unaffected. As Timms has previously said people with ongoing PIP awards would be unaffected by any change in the PIP assessment system as they are not routinely reassessed. And that he would look at putting in protections for those with ongoing PIP awards who report a change in a light touch review that triggers a reassessment.

      In 2028/29 the government plans to abolish the WCA and along with it LCW and LCWRA status. Replacing the system with PIP daily living giving eligibility to UC health element. It is expected/hoped those with ongoing PIP daily living awards will be unaffected. As they should remain eligible for UC health due to receiving PIP daily living. And it is hoped they might be passported into the severe conditions criteria group. As they should in theory never be routinely reassessed for PIP so would never have the opportunity to be assessed as severe conditions criteria group. And have already been deemed disabled for life and in the case of enhanced daily living awards severely disabled for life. Which is similar to the wording used for the severe conditions criteria group severely disabled for life never expected to be able to work. 
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    · 19 days ago
    I’ve said before on another thread so will repeat again I not had a esa wca since 2017 did a change of circumstances on uc journal in July(just to get things moving faster)just said my depression has got worse as well as having autism/asd so am in the queue now it’s been 5 months already hoping for lcwra currently on uc lcw which is awful threats sanctions and belittled by a know it all work coach has sent my mental heath spiraling downward as well as the 4 weekly face to face meetings which I cannot handle next one 7th of January happy new year 
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 3 days ago
      @James h I'm so sorry to hear this, James h - it all sounds really tough for you.  Fingers crossed you get the result you are hoping for, and that you are able to find some brighter days through the fug of depression.  All best wishes.
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 20 days ago
    What about those with Ongoing Awards and over pension age 
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 19 days ago
      @angie010 There is no change for them in regards to PIP. Their PIP awards remain ongoing/indefinite with light touch reviews every ten years.

      Working age people with support group or LCWRA awards technically also have ongoing awards. Unlike PIP ongoing awards they are supposed to be reassessed at least every 3 years. In a lot of instances they have instead just had their reassessment dates extended year after year. This in theory is now ending for some. As the DWP wants to increase WCA reassessments. Focusing on those who would be expected to have improved and also focusing on those awarded under substantial risk eligibility criteria. How many the DWP will actually manage to reassess remains to be seen. And it seems very unfair and dangerous and based on bigotry and cruelty to focus on those awarded LCWRA due to substantial risk.  
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 20 days ago
    "The government have not made it clear how the £1.9 billion will be saved."
    According to the government the £1.9 billion will be saved by
    The increase in WCA reassessments vs auto-extending awards. (More people having their awards reduced or ended)
    The difference in WCA and PIP award outcomes face-to-face vs paper or phone based assessments. (more people getting lower awards or being denied awards)
    While increasing PIP award durations for those aged 25+ is a cost vs the cost in awards and re-awards of keeping the current system. 
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 9 days ago
      @John In addition also consider after 2026, if someone goes from LCWRA to LCW then back to LCWRA, they wont be back on the original rate of LCWRA, and instead have the cut amount of LCWRA topup.
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 9 days ago
      @John Yeah I can see how the number can be met, the WCA reassessments I expect will comfortable reach double figure % for either LCW or FFW.
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