PIP claimants won't see new benefit payment rates this month in DWP delay

Millions of Personal Independence Payment () will not see their payments rise until next month due to Department for Work and Pensions () benefit rules.

DWP benefit payments - including , Attendance Allowance, and Employment Support Allowance (ESA) - were hiked by 1.7% on April 7. However, most claimants will have to wait until May before they receive the full amount of higher . This is because, under the benefit rules, payments are typically issued in four weeks' arrears.

This means claimants will see a blend of old and new rates until a full payment cycle has passed since the uprating was applied. The DWP has been sending out letters to all benefit claimants informing them of the new payment amounts. This letter acts as an official record of proof of your entitlement to the benefit, and you do not need to do anything to get it. It will be applied automatically.

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PIP is a disability benefit and it is paid to people with long-term mental or physical health problems or disabilities. The aim of the benefit is to help with the extra costs of having a health condition or disability.

The amount of benefit you receive depends on how your condition affects you - not the condition itself. PIP is not a means-tested benefit - so you can claim it even if you are working and have savings. The disability benefit is paid every four weeks, and is made up of two components - a daily living rate and a mobility rate.

You can be entitled to both or just one of these. These components are then split again, into the standard rate and the enhanced rate. You get the higher rate if your day to day life is impacted more by your condition or disability, and you get the lower rate if it is less impacted. Here are the current rates of PIP, after the rise in April.

Daily Living

• Standard rate: £73.90 a week - £295.60 per pay period
• Enhanced rate: £110.40 a week - £441.60 per pay period

Mobility

• Standard rate: £29.20 a week - £116.80 per pay period
• Enhanced rate: £77.05 a week - £308.20 per pay period

Proposed PIP changes

When talking about PIP, you cannot fail to mention the changes proposed by the Labour government last month. The Work and Secretary Liz Kendall announced that the government was looking to tighten the eligibility criteria for the benefit and review the assessment process.

To have a successful claim for PIP, you normally need to undertake an assessment which is used to determine what tasks you are struggling with and how your condition impacts your day-to-day life. This is completed using a points system.

You currently need between eight and 11 points to get the standard daily living or mobility part of PIP across all the sections. You get the higher rate if you score 12 points or more. However, under changes, you will need a minimum of four points in at least one activity to qualify for the daily living part of PIP from November 2026.

This means that claimants will need to show greater difficulty when completing some tasks, such as washing, eating and getting dressed, to be eligible to claim PIP. Whilst they won’t affect those who currently have an entitlement, it will affect people when it comes to reapplying or being reassessed after the new rules come into force. The assessment for the PIP mobility component is not changing.

Citizens Advice says those who would be eligible for PIP, but are not currently claiming right now , should put in a claim and not be put off by the upcoming changes.

The website says: "On 18 March 2025, the government announced changes to the rules for claiming PIP. These changes mean fewer people will get PIP.

Changes to PIP will not happen in 2025. If you’re thinking of applying for PIP, you should. You’re more likely to get PIP if you apply before the rules change."

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