Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Personal Independence Payment: Eligibility Criteria

Monday 12 May 2025 · 4 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 4 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Minister stated that one in five working-age PIP claimants were employed in March of the previous year.
  • Government plans to improve employment support for PIP claimants with an additional 1 billion a year commitment.
  • Minister denied claims that half of PIP recipients with multiple sclerosis would become ineligible under new criteria.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 John Milne Lib Dem Horsham
Benefits & Welfare
Context

The Government is planning reforms to the eligibility criteria for Personal Independence Payment, which could affect recipients' ability to move into employment.

Question

What estimate has her Department made of the potential impact of changes to the eligibility criteria for personal independence payment on the number of people receiving that payment who will move into employment?

Answer from Stephen Timms

This is a very important set of reforms, for exactly that reason—to make sure people do have the opportunity to move into work. One in five working-age PIP claimants were in work in March last year; we want many more to have that opportunity. We are going to improve employment support substantially, Connect to Work is being rolled out across the country this year, and there will be an additional £1 billion per year for employment support by the end of the Parliament. As the hon. Gentleman knows, the impacts of these changes will be set out by the Office for Budget Responsibility at the time of the autumn Budget.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The answer did not provide specific estimates or percentages regarding employment outcomes from reforms.

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Q2 John Milne Lib Dem Horsham
Employment Benefits & Welfare
Context

The Multiple Sclerosis Society has stated that the Government's PIP reform will make it harder for MS sufferers to find work, contrary to government claims.

Question

The Government say that their PIP reforms will help people into employment, but the Multiple Sclerosis Society says that 60% of sufferers believe those reforms will make it harder for them to find work, not easier. An estimate must have been made of what percentage of claimants will feasibly enter employment as a result of these reforms. Will the Minister share those figures?

Answer from Stephen Timms

This is a very important set of reforms, for exactly that reason—to make sure people do have the opportunity to move into work. One in five working-age PIP claimants were in work in March last year; we want many more to have that opportunity. We are going to improve employment support substantially, Connect to Work is being rolled out across the country this year, and there will be an additional £1 billion per year for employment support by the end of the Parliament. As the hon. Gentleman knows, the impacts of these changes will be set out by the Office for Budget Responsibility at the time of the autumn Budget.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The answer did not provide specific figures or percentages regarding employment outcomes from reforms.

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Q3 Danny Kruger Reform East Wiltshire
Economy Employment Benefits & Welfare
Context

The Government has proposed emergency welfare cuts, but there is a lack of information about the number of people who will be in work as a result.

Question

It is six weeks since the Government cobbled together an emergency plan for welfare cuts to rescue the Chancellor from the consequences of her job-destroying, economy-shrinking Budget, but we are still waiting for some information. Can the Minister tell the House how many more people will be in work as a result of these measures?

Answer from Stephen Timms

As I have just told the House, the Office for Budget Responsibility will publish its assessment in the autumn—that is what we said at the time of the spring statement. This is a very big programme; the commitment of an additional £1 billion a year to employment support will open up opportunities for a very large number of people, in the way that the new deal for disabled people did under the last Labour Government all those years ago. We want to get back to providing the support that people need.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The answer did not provide specific figures or percentages regarding employment outcomes from reforms.

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Q4 Danny Kruger Reform East Wiltshire
Benefits & Welfare
Context

The Government's changes to the eligibility criteria for Personal Independence Payment may lead to a large number of recipients becoming ineligible, causing concern among disability groups.

Question

Is he aware that half the number of people who receive PIP who have multiple sclerosis will no longer be eligible for that benefit under the plans that the Government are bringing forward? A quarter of people with cerebral palsy and three quarters of people with arthritis will also be ineligible. Is the Minister happy with that, and if not, what hope can he give the hundreds of thousands of people who are being abandoned that the Government will look after them?

Answer from Stephen Timms

The hon. Gentleman is completely mistaken. These changes will not take effect until November next year and following each claimant’s award review after that date. Who receives the benefit will depend on the outcome of the assessment at that time. As the hon. Gentleman will know, the view of the Office for Budget Responsibility is that about 10% of those who are currently claiming PIP will lose their benefit as a result of these changes—a much lower proportion than the one he has just referred to.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The answer did not provide specific figures or percentages regarding employment outcomes from reforms, focusing instead on correcting misconceptions about eligibility criteria.

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