Pension age PIP

What happens to pension age PIP claimants under the new proposals?

Information website Benefits and Work has highlighted “unanswered questions” concerning PIP for pension age people.

On the one hand, proposed changes to the disability benefit would remove the daily living component from anyone who didn’t score at least four points for at least one activity. On the other, Disability Minister Stephen Timms has stated that people over pension age will not be affected by the changes.

Which leaves many wondering how to reconcile the two.
 

The four point PIP proposal

Currently, you need to score at least eight points in total across all the activities of daily living in order to qualify for the standard rate of PIP daily living component.

Under the new rules, you would need to score four points for at least one of the activities. In other words, if you score three or less for every activity, you will not qualify. This will obviously exclude many people who are currently eligible.

Although the government is currently consulting on proposed welfare changes (until 30 June 2025), this proposal is not included in the consultation.
 

Reassessments after pension age

It is true that people receiving PIP after retirement age tend to be reassessed less frequently than younger claimants. However, there are about 10,000 planned award reviews each year for pension age people and additionally, there are people whose care needs have changed who will be asking to be reassessed. As well as having to clock up a total of 12 points, including four for one activity, to get the enhanced rate, if they fail to achieve four points for at least one of the daily living activities, they will lose any standard rate daily living award they currently receive.

In total, there are some 20,000 pension age reassessments a year. For people currently on the standard rate of daily living component, an estimated 8 out of 10 will lose it if their care needs are unchanged when they are reassessed, as they won’t meet the new criteria.
 

Ambiguity of minister’s written answer

So what Stephen Timms wrote in answer to a question about pension age PIP was:

“Our intention is that the new eligibility requirement in Personal Independence Payment (PIP), in which people must score a minimum of four points in one daily living activity to be eligible for the daily living component, will apply to new claims and award reviews from November 2026, subject to parliamentary approval. In keeping with existing policy, people over State Pension Age are not routinely fully reviewed and will not be affected by the proposed changes.”

Benefits and Work have looked at this, and concluded that the phrase “not routinely fully reviewed” – which refers to the prevalence of light touch reviews for older recipients – does not actually preclude them from being affected by the four point rule. As mentioned above, if they answer the question on the shortened AR2 form used for light touch reviews, to say that their needs are unchanged, 80% of those on standard rate for daily living will lose it as a consequence. There is no specific opt out in the proposals for people of pension age.
 

How to help resolve this unanswered question

Benefits and Work is suggesting that people with a sympathetic MP write and ask them to raise the question of pension age PIP with the minister.

They propose questions like these, to winkle out the details of what is proposed:

“Will existing PIP claimants of pension age who are subject to a planned award review from November 2026 be required to score at least four points in one daily living activity in order to maintain their award?”

“Will existing PIP claimants of pension age who request a change of circumstances review from November 2026 be required to score at least four points in one daily living activity in order to maintain or increase their award?”

MPs will be voting on the changes next month, so it is important that they have all the information available.

You can read more on the Benefits and Work website (external link will open in a new browser tab or window)
 

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Further reading and resources

We have information about Personal Independence Payment (PIP) here

You can’t make a new claim for PIP once you have reached pension age. Instead, you should claim Attendance Allowance, unless you are in Scotland. North of the border, the equivalent benefit is Pension Age Disability Payment.

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