The government has proposed sweeping changes to financial support for people of working age who have limiting health conditions. The proposal includes:

  • Restrictions to who is entitled to the daily living component of Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
  • Reduction in the amount of Universal Credit (UC) for people with limited capacity to work-related activities (LCWRA)
  • Restricting LCWRA payments to only those older than 22.

These cuts would come into effect from April 2026.

Changes to PIP: the details

The PIP daily living component, according to the proposal, would only be awarded to people who need assistance, supervision or prompting from another person in at least one of the ten PIP daily living activities. People who manage their daily life without direct involvement of other people would no longer meet the entitlement criteria.

This could mean that many people who are currently getting PIP, following an award review after November 2026, may no longer be entitled to it. Those affected may also lose access to other support, such as

  • Exemption from the benefit cap
  • Exemption from non-dependent deductions
  • Exemption from the bedroom tax
  • Disability premiums on income-based benefits

What this means for unpaid carers

At the moment, if you care for someone who receives PIP, you can qualify for

  • Carer’s Allowance
  • The UC carer element
  • Carer premiums on other income-based benefits
  • Council Tax carer discount.

Therefore, the government’s decision to restrict PIP payments may cause carers to lose a range of financial support too.

Let’s take action

Although the proposals are very concerning for many carers, they are not yet set in stone. None of the changes would come into effect until April 2026. For now, we can all take action to try and stop the cuts.

  • The government has launched a consultation which is open until the end of June
  • There are petitions against the cuts
  • You can get involved with campaigns such as ‘Disabled People Against Cuts’
  • You can contact your local MP, either directly or by using a website created by Trussel
  • More organisations and grassroots groups are expected to offer opportunities to voice your opinion against these cuts.

Support

Although there is a clear intention of the government to cut disability-related benefits and push disabled people and their carers into work, they are also planning to increase the UC standard allowance slightly. They may also increase the age of children who can receive Disability Living Allowance to 18.

We know the proposed cuts are frightening and frustrating for carers and disabled people. The Carers Manchester Contact Point is here to support you if you need any benefit related advice. We can help with PIP claims, other disability benefits, and appeals. We also provide entitlement checks for all income-based benefits.