Commons Sense

House of Commons · Written Ministerial Statement

Health and Disability Reform: Update

29 April 2024 · Department for Work and Pensions

Proposed by Mel Stride Con Central Devon

Benefits & Welfare

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

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At a glance

Key points

  • The Personal Independence Payment (PIP) system needs modernization to better support disabled individuals and those with long-term health conditions.
  • A public consultation has been launched to gather views on reforming the PIP system.
  • The consultation aims to improve support for people with disabilities while ensuring fairness to taxpayers.

Issue summary

The statement addresses the need to modernize the Personal Independence Payment (PIP) system to better meet the needs of disabled individuals and those with long-term health conditions.

Action requested

My department has launched a public consultation on options to fundamentally change the PIP, seeking views on how to improve support for people with disabilities and long-term health conditions in a way that is fairer to taxpayers.

Key facts

  • The government's Department for Work and Pensions has published a Command Paper launching the Modernising Support for Independent Living: The Health and Disability Green Paper.
  • Personal Independence Payment (PIP) was introduced in 2013 to provide non-means tested cash payments to disabled people and those with health conditions.
  • Costs related to mental health conditions have risen significantly, from an average of 2,200 new PIP awards a month for mixed anxiety and depressive disorders in 2019 to over 5,300 a month in 2023.
  • Over the next five years, PIP spending is expected to grow by 63%, from £21.6bn to £35.3bn (2023/24 to 2028/29).
  • The forecast spending on people of working age with a disability or health condition for 2024/25 is £69bn.
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