The Government is committed to redesigning the disability benefits system to ensure it is fair and compassionate, but also sustainable and fit for the future.
As you may know, many more working-age people are being awarded PIP for mental health conditions than when it was first introduced a decade ago. For example, there are 33,000 new monthly awards for PIP compared to the pre-pandemic level of 17,000.
Furthermore, since PIP’s introduction, the nature of disability and ill health has changed profoundly. It is clear that with almost a quarter of the adult population reporting a disability in 2024, the Government believes a new conversation is needed about how the benefit system can best support people to live full and independent lives.
To address these issues, on 19 April, the Prime Minister set out his ambition to redesign the disability benefits system to ensure that support is more accurately targeted toward those who need it most.
I am pleased that the Government is working hard to find ways of modernising the system, especially for those with the most severe disabilities and health conditions. This is why the Department for Work and Pensions is inviting a range of views from those affected on how to modernise support, including by looking at financial support being better targeted at people who have specific extra costs. It could also involve improved support of other kinds, such as physical or mental health treatment, leading to better outcomes.
These changes will aim to ensure that the support is better targeted towards individual needs and more closely linked to a person’s condition rather than the current “one size fits all” approach.