New 13-Week PIP Rules to Affect Millions of Beneficiaries: Here’s How to Be Safe: The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has announced that claimants of Personal Independence Payment (PIP) will have their benefits safeguarded temporarily following proposed changes to the system.
New 13-Week PIP Rules to Affect Millions of Beneficiaries
Under the new Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill, claimants facing changes will experience a 13-week grace period before their PIP funds are stopped. This temporary provision extends particularly to current beneficiaries whose PIP daily living component is modified and the carer element with Universal Credit.
This measure benefits recipients who may lose their entitlement to carer’s allowance and the carer’s element of Universal Credit due to the amendments.
According to the DWP, this transitional protection significantly exceeds the duration offered during the transition from Disability Living Allowance (DLA) to PIP, which was previously the primary disability benefit in the UK before PIP took over.
This legislation represents a new contract and marks the moment we take the road of compassion, opportunity, and dignity. This will give people peace of mind while also fixing our broken social security system so it supports those who can work to do so while protecting those who cannot, putting welfare spending on a more sustainable path to unlock growth as part of our plan for changes.”
What is the new 13-week rule?
The DWP has introduced a 13-week transitional protection period as part of upcoming reforms. If a claimant is deemed for the daily living component due to upcoming rule changes, they will continue receiving payments for 13 weeks before the payments stop.
| Previous Protection | New 2025 Transitional Rule |
| 4 weeks (DLA to PIP transition) | 13 weeks from PIP reassessment |
| applied to DLA-only claimants | Now applies to current PIP recipients |
| No transition for new rules | Now includes rule change scenarios |
This transitional rule is aimed at softening the financial blow of losing eligibility, giving affected individuals time to adjust or appeal decisions.
Who will be affected by the rule changes?
- People previously eligible due to scoring points across multiple smaller tasks
- Carers receiving Carer’s Allowance lose entitlement if the cared-for person loses PIP eligibility.
- Universal Credit Claimants receiving the carer’s element.
What is PIP?
PIP, or Personal Independence Payment, is a benefit designed to assist individuals who require additional help with everyday activities due to an illness, disability or mental health condition. Eligibility for PIP does not tag on the condition itself but rather on the impact it has in your life. Typically, you must undergo an assessment using a points-based system before your PIP claim is accepted.
If your application is approved, you will get PIP for a set period before it is reviewed. PIP can be awarded for a minimum of nine months. For individuals who are terminally ill, the duration of the award is three years. PIP consists of two components: the daily living component and the mobility component.
What is the current process for PIP assessment?
Your PIP assessment can take place face-to-face, over the phone or via video call. You perform very simple tasks or answer questions to assess your cognitive abilities. Throughout your evaluation, points will be assigned to you for the daily living and mobility segments of PIP. If your score for daily living needs in the PIP test falls between eight and 11 points, you will secure the standard rate for the daily living part.
How is PIP Changing?
Earlier this year the Labour Party proposals to tighten the criteria for PIP eligibility and confirmed the assessment procedure would undergo scrutiny as well. Upcoming alterations mean that to be eligible for the daily living component of Personal Independence Payment (PIP) from November 2026, a minimum of four points in at least one activity will be necessary. No changes are being proposed for the PIP mobility component. The bulk of the PIP assessment will shift to in-person after the remote via telephone or video.
Conclusion
In this article we discussed the new 13-week PIP rules to affect millions of beneficiaries: Here’s How to Be Safe, Your PIP assessment can take place face-to-face, over the phone or via video call. No changes are being proposed for the PIP mobility component.