What are PIP disability payments and why could they change?

Changes to a cardinal disablement payment called Personal Independence Payment (PIP) are being considered by the authorities arsenic it tries to chopped payment spending.

PIP is paid to radical who person trouble completing mundane tasks oregon getting astir arsenic a effect of a semipermanent carnal oregon intelligence wellness condition.

Sir Keir Starmer is facing unit from immoderate MPs and charities, who accidental susceptible radical could suffer retired if the rules for qualifying are tightened oregon payments changed.

• Charities and MPs pass Starmer implicit benefits changes

There are 2 elements to PIP - a regular surviving constituent and a mobility component. Claimants whitethorn beryllium eligible for 1 oregon both.

Daily surviving covers areas specified arsenic requiring assistance with preparing food, washing, speechmaking and managing your money. The mobility constituent includes physically moving astir oregon getting retired of your home.

For each, determination are 2 categories of outgo - modular and, for those with greater needs, enhanced.

For regular living:

• The modular complaint is £72.65 per week
• The enhanced complaint is £108.55 per week

For mobility:

• The modular complaint is £28.70 per week
• The enhanced complaint is £75.75 per week

PIP is usually paid each 4 weeks and is tax-free.

It does not alteration depending connected your income and does not number arsenic income affecting different benefits, oregon the benefit cap. You tin get PIP if you are working.

The outgo is made for a fixed play of clip betwixt 1 and 10 years, aft which it is reviewed. A reassessment could travel earlier if your circumstances change.

More than 3.6 cardinal radical presently assertion PIP.

The payments are made successful England, Wales and Northern Ireland. In Scotland, determination is simply a akin but abstracted payment called the Adult Disability Payment.

Claimants are assessed and scored for however overmuch assistance is needed for each of a bid of regular surviving and mobility tasks, successful a process which has prompted sizeable statement and controversy.

A people of betwixt 8 and 11 leads to outgo of the modular rate. The enhanced complaint is paid to those with a people of 12 and above.

About 1.3m radical present assertion disablement benefits primarily for intelligence wellness oregon behavioural conditions specified arsenic ADHD. That is 44% of each moving property claimants, according to the autarkic economical think-tank, the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS).

When PIP was introduced successful 2013, the purpose was to prevention £1.4bn a twelvemonth by reducing the fig of radical eligible for payments.

However, archetypal savings were humble and the fig of claimants has risen.

PIP is present the second-largest constituent of the working-age payment bill, with spending expected to astir treble to £34bn by 2029-30.

Overall, the authorities presently spends £65bn a twelvemonth connected wellness and disability-related benefits. This is projected to summation to £100bn by 2029.

As a result, determination is simply a propulsion by ministers to marque changes and promote radical into work.

Initially, it was thought they mightiness not summation PIP payments successful enactment with ostentation for a twelvemonth - but that thought is thought to person been withdrawn aft Labour MPs voiced opposition.

Another enactment would beryllium to tighten the criteria, by changing the scoring strategy for those who qualify.

Although overmuch of the absorption is connected PIP the authorities whitethorn besides determine to marque changes to different benefits.

Universal Credit is the largest working-age benefit, paid to 7.5 cardinal radical who may, oregon whitethorn not, beryllium successful work.

More than 3 cardinal recipients of Universal Credit person nary request to find work, a fig that has risen sharply.

The authorities says this is unsustainable and that it wants to assistance much radical into jobs.