PIP/UC changes

Proposed changes to benefits will be coming thick and fast from 2026 right through to possibly 2030.  We've set out the most important changes, reviews and consultations below.

December 2025

Streeting mental health and neurodiversity overdiagnosis review begins

Wes Streeting’s Department of Health and Social Care has commissioned a review into whether mental health conditions, ADHD and autism are being overdiagnosed.

The results of the review will be fed into the Timms review (see below) and could influence whether that body recommends reducing PIP awards for these conditions.

You can read more about the Streeting review here.

January  2026

Milburn UC cuts for youth review, call for evidence

In November 2025 Alan Milburn was commissioned to write a report on young people and work, looking in particular at why so many young people are Not in Education, Employment or Training (NEET), including those claiming health and disability benefits.

The results of the report will influence whether Labour goes ahead with its green paper proposal to delay access to the UC health element until age 22, meaning that younger people will not be eligible. 

The Milburn review has called for evidence from the public, in relation to  two questions:

1. What is stopping more young people from participating in employment, education or training? 

2. What would make the biggest difference to support more young people to participate? 

The closing date for submissions, which can be made by email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. is Friday 30 January.

There’s more information about the Milburn review here.

February 2026

Timms PIP review begins work

The Timms review, which the government claims will ensure that PIP is fit for the future, will finally begin work in February 2026, after appointing 12 members to a steering committee and providing them all with a period of induction in January.  It is due to report in Autumn 2026.

It is widely feared that Labour still hopes to use the findings of the Timms review as a justification for another attempt at imposing PIP cuts.

According to the terms of reference, the review will include will include consideration of:

• The role of the PIP assessment.
• The assessment criteria – including activities, descriptors and associated points. The review will consider both the Daily Living and Mobility elements of the PIP assessment.
• Whether any other evidence should be considered alongside the functional assessment to fairly reflect the impact of living with a long-term health condition or disability, including related to an individual’s personal circumstances and environment.
• How the PIP assessment could provide fair access to the right support at the right level across the benefits system.
• What role the assessment could and should play in unlocking wider support

It’s recommendations may relate to both current and future claimants.

April 2026

Universal credit changes

The Universal Credit Act will introduce cuts to the UC health element for new claims, increases to the UC standard rate and the introduction of the severe conditions criteria as a means of deciding who gets the higher rate of the UC health element.

The UC standard allowance for new and existing claims will be increased. This will mean the single person 25+ rate of UC standard allowance increasing by £7 per week, from £91pw in 2024/2025 to £98pw in 2026/2027.

From April 2026, the LCWRA element (which the Green Paper calls the health element) for existing claimants will be frozen at £97pw until 2029/30, but claimants will benefit from the increased standard allowance.  However, the freeze to the universal health element will not to apply to:

• existing claimants,
• people who meet the severe conditions criteria
• terminally ill patients.

For new claims from April 2026, the rate of the LCWRA element – now called the health element - will be reduced by £47pw, from £97pw in 2024/2025 to £50pw in 2026/2027. 

People on the health element of UC will be expected, as a minimum, to participate in periodic conversations about work and support (with exceptions where this would not be appropriate). If someone does not attend or engage in a planned conversation, the DWP will seek to understand the reasons before benefits are affected.  In other words, sanctions can be applied to people in this group.  However, the green paper says that "as now, we do not envisage the requirement on this group extending to undertaking specific work related activity or to look for work or take jobs."

More details here

Benefits uprating 2026/27

Most benefits will increase by 3.8%, in line with the CPI rate of inflation. 

Exceptions include the universal credit standard allowance, which is increasing by more than the CPI and the limited capability for work-related activity (LCWRA) rate for new claimants who do not meet the severe conditions criteria, where the rate is almost halving.

More details about benefits uprating here.

Fewer PIP reviews 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.

This will free up health professionals to begin tackling the backlog of WCA reassessments.

More details here.

More face-to-face assessments for PIP and WCA

The proportion of face-to-face assessments is 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.

The move is likely to reduce the number of successful claims.  In 2024, the success rate for face-to-face PIP assessments was 44% compared to 57% for telephone assessments.

More details here.

May 2026

Milburn UC cuts for youth review, interim report

We don’t have a definite date for the Milburn review (see above) interim report.  But the original Milburn review  terms of reference say that the “discovery phase” will end in Spring 2026, with an interim report being submitted to the secretary of state for work and pensions.

Local and devolved elections

The local and devolved elections aren’t about PIP or UC at all.  But if Labour does as badly as expected, there will be pressure for change from both wings of the party.  Those on the right will be pushing for more punitive welfare changes to attract Reform voters, whilst those on the left will be arguing for a more supportive stance on benefits to attract Green/LibDem/Your Party supporters.

So, claimants in areas where elections are being held have a real interest in not only voting, but also letting parties know if their stance on benefits has influenced their vote.  We’ll be covering this in more detail in the near future.

June 2026

Streeting mental health and neurodiversity overdiagnosis review final report

We don’t have a definite date for when the Streeting review (see above)  will report back, but it was set to last for 3-6 months from a start date in December 2025.  So we should have the final report by June at the latest.

July  2026

Motability changes

VAT relief for top-up payments made to lease more expensive vehicles via Motability will be removed for new leases from July 2026, so VAT will be payable at 20% on top-ups.

Insurance Premium Tax will apply at the standard rate of 12% to insurance contracts on the Scheme.

Read more details about Motability changes here.

Milburn UC cuts for youth review, final report

We don’t have a definite date for the Milburn review (see above) final report.  But the original Milburn review  terms of reference say that the “solution phase” will end in Summer 2026, with a full and final report being provided to the secretary of state for work and pensions.

November 2026

Timms PIP review final report

We don’t have a definite date for the final report of the Timms review (see above).  But it’s due in the Autumn, so we’re guessing that November is the most likely month.  We’ll publish any firmer information that becomes available.

2026/27 

Right To Try Guarantee

The Green Paper says that the government will establish in law the principle that work will not lead to a reassessment. Legislation will guarantee that trying work will not be considered a relevant change of circumstance that will trigger a PIP award review or WCA reassessment. 

2027/28 

Delaying access to the UC health element until age 22

One of the proposals in the Pathways to Work Green paper was to delay access to the UC health element until age 22, meaning that younger people would not be eligible.  The claim is that this would make it less likely that young people would be trapped in a life on benefits.  

Whether this goes ahead may, to some extent, depend on the findings of the Milburn review.

2028/29

Abolition of the WCA

The work capability assessment (WCA) is the current test which gives access to the limited capability for work-related activity (LCWRA) element – or health element - of universal credit.

According to the green paper, from 2028/29, the WCA is to be axed and eligibility for the UC health element will depend upon being in receipt of the daily living component of PIP.

There is currently no certainty about whether current LCWRA claimants who do not receive PIP daily living will be affected by the change.

In fact, at this stage there is no certainty that the WCA will be axed: recent statements by ministers have been less than clear and also seem to have pushed the possible date back to 2030.

PIP/UC single assessment

At the same time as the WCA is abolished, the new PIP assessment that is created by the Timms review will be introduced, if it has not been introduced earlier. This single assessment will give access to both PIP and the health element of UC.

But, as we explained above, there is now some uncertainty about when or whether the WCA will be abolished.  

New Unemployment Insurance contributory benefit

The Green Paper gave sketchy details of a proposal to replace New Style Employment and Support Allowance (NS ESA) and New Style Jobseeker’s Allowance (NS JSA) with one new Unemployment Insurance benefit. 

It will be paid at the ESA rate (currently £138pw) and will be time-limited. 

People claiming Unemployment Insurance will be expected to actively seek work with ”easments” for those with work-limiting health conditions. 

It is not clear how it will be decided if a claimant has a work-limiting health condition, as the WCA is being abolished.

After the, as yet unquantified, time-limit on Unemployment Insurance has expired, claimants will have to attempt to claim UC.