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PIP / UC Workshop Notes

Created: 21/11/2025, Bright Futures @Ruils

Who by? Bright Futures @Ruils

Why might it be of interest?

Completing a PIP application form is something of an art and there’s currently not much support to help people do it themselves.

Despite much news around this benefit in the summer of 2025 no changes have actually been made to the application process or the points based system and nothing will change until after a government report due in the autumn of 2026.

However, it will undoubtedly become harder for people to get enough points to be entitled to PIP.  In my opinion this will affect our more able young people most and those whose condition varies.  But with the right approach and support you still have a very good chance of your young person being considered eligible.

There are a lot of guides if you google but we recommend the Benefits and Work guides as they are very comprehensive.  They are behind a paywall which is £19.95 per year for access to all their guides.

They do have ‘PIP test’ which is free to do and that can be helpful to help you see how many points your young person might get.

The UC part of this workshop is very much an overview of the process but I think there’s enough information here that the actual claim won’t be too much of a surprise to you!

Slide 2 PIP: What is this benefit?

  • PIP is a disability benefit
  • It is not means tested – so you can be working or on benefits and still eligible
  • It is intended to help with the additional costs that come with being disabled
  • It is not taxable or counted as income when claiming other benefits – eg UC
  • But the daily living component is income for the social care financial assessment

Points based system

  • 0 points means a person can do the activity
  • 2-8 points (in general, some questions have higher max points) depending on what a yp can or can’t do on their own

8 points needed for standard allowance – £73.90

12 points needed for enhanced allowance – £110.40

For young people on DLA they will be asked to claim PIP as they approach their 16th birthday

Around the same time you will get a letter from the DWP to ask if they need an Appointee

  • A DWP Appointee is a person who manages another person’s benefits on their behalf

As an appointee you can manage their DLA to age 16 and PIP after that – but also UC, housing benefit, etc in the future

I have never heard of a parent being denied appointeeship if they want it – even if their young person is quite able

Slide 3 PIP: PIP Forms

There are actually 2 forms to complete

PIP1 may be done over the phone when you call to request the application

PIP2 is the actual application with all the questions you are expecting to have to answer

PIP1:  https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/example-pip1-claim-form

PIP2:  https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6602af72f1d3a09b1f32ac81/pip2-form-and-information-booklet__1_.pdf

With both forms, if you are completing them for your young person, you answer the questions as if you were the young person – so you means the young person and their details and information.

Parents have told me that the PIP1 phone call can feel a bit like an interrogation but try not to let that get to you – it really isn’t

This part is to establish your young person’s underlying eligibility to apply for PIP based mainly on nationality and residency.  This is not whether their health or disability will be considered eligible.

 PIP1

  • Name(s); contact details; contact preferences
  • Are you claiming on behalf of another person?
  • Do you have authority? Eg DWP Appointee, LPA, etc – also asked if you want to be a DWP Appointee
  • If you are completing the form on behalf of someone else you then fill in your details and how you prefer to be contacted
  • Nationality info – this is about the young person not you
    • If you are a british or irish national you skip all of these questions
    • If you are not a british or irish national you have a number of questions to complete about your nationality and status
  • Then there’s a number of questions around your residency in the UK
    • It asks about holidays of more than 4 weeks in the last 3 years
    • I know parents have found these questions slightly unnerving if they have gone through this form on the phone
    • They are nothing to worry about
    • But there are rules around residency – unlikely to be a problem for anyone living in the UK who goes on holiday occasionally
    • Could be a problem if the family have lived out of the country for an extended period of time
  • It goes on to ask about hospital stays and residential care and who pays the costs
    • This is because a person is not entitled to receive PIP in certain hospital or residential settings
    • Their underlying eligibility doesn’t change but for the duration in hospital or residential care they won’t receive a payment
    • There’s rules around the number of days before this kicks in
  • Questions about your main healthcare provider and other healthcare and social care providers
  • Consent
  • Payment details
  • Special rules for end of life – we’re not really covering that today
  • Questions about your previous DLA award and if you want them to use evidence from that award
  • Any other information

It’s 20 pages long!

But it is NOT the actual application!

PIP2

2 parts

  • Daily living – 10 questions
  • Mobility – 2 questions: planning a journey / moving around

8 points on daily living for standard rate

12 points on daily living for enhanced rate

12 points to qualify for mobility allowance:

  • This can be12 points on one or other of the questions or 12 points across planning a journey and moving around questions
  • 8 points on moving around to automatically qualify for a blue badge

Slide 4 PIP: Daily living activities

These are the daily living activities assessed

Slide 5 PIP: Mobility questions

There are 2 additional mobility questions

Slide 6 PIP: The Key word is RELIABLE –   Basic approach

It’s not a simple yes or no

Can your young person do the activity reliably

This is a key word and always keep it in mind

This is what makes it reliable – always keep these things in mind

Can you do the activity:

  • safely
  • to an acceptable standard
  • repeatedly – ie as often as is needed
  • and within a reasonable time period

This is without support – ie what they can do totally on their own

Without aids or adaptations

If they can’t do one or more of the above then they can’t do the activity reliably

If they use an aid or appliance approach the question carefully as the DWP may use that as a reason to reduce points.  Use of aid and appliances fall into the 2 point range mostly whereas help from another person will be 4+ points.  So you will need to demonstrate that help from another person is still needed.

Quick examples

Safely: 

  • In the kitchen can a young person use a sharp knife
    • Maybe poor fine motor skills make this unsafe
  • Can they lift a hot pan
    • Fine motor skills
    • strength
  • Taking medication – can they identify their medication and take the right meds in the right dose at the right time

To an acceptable standard:

  • Maybe their sandwiches are massacred
  • Perhaps they can get into the shower unaided but don’t actually wash
  • They can pull on a pair of leggings but can’t put on a jumper
  • Are they taking the right meds at the right time

Repeatedly:

  • They can prepare a simple mean on a better day
  • But they can’t manage it 3 times a day
  • Or at all on days when they are not well
  • They may not have the capacity to understand that an activity needs to be done over and over
  • A young person may be able to communicate verbally but they are unable to manage more than occasional conversations
  • Meds usually need to be taken daily at a regular time or even 2 or 3 times a day – do they remember the morning meds but forget the later meds

Within a reasonable time period:

  • They can eat food on their own but they take a very long time to eat a meal
  • Ditto washing or dressing
  • They can walk a short distance but it takes them 3 times as long as other people
  • They can engage with another person face to face but they need a lot of preparation to do so, time to think about it
  • Meds at the right time

Slide 7 PIP: DWP  Definitions

This is what the DWP means when you use these terms

Aids and appliances:  can get you extra points

But also the DWP may try to reduce points saying they are an alternative to other support you may need

Slide 8 PIP: Sample questions

We’re going to look at 3 questions over the next few slides

And how to approach the answers

Question 6 – Washing and bathing

Can you reliably:

  • Wash your whole body
  • Get in and out of the bath or shower (without aids or adaptations)
  • Does it take you a long time
  • Are you safe
    • Might you slip
    • Can you check the water temperature
  • Can you wash properly
    • This is more than just getting into the shower
    • Even if you can physically wash yourself do you need someone to talk you through the process
  • Can you do this activity as often as needed – at least a few times a week, for example

Slide 9 PIP: Q6 Descriptors and points

This is what the DWP is comparing your answers to

You get the highest points – not a combination if you meet more than one descriptor

Generally you need to have the need more than 50% of days over a year

This is important to remember for people where their needs vary

Slide 10 PIP: How to answer

Thinking about these questions may help you describe your difficulties more clearly

From the Benefits and Work guide

It is a structured approach which I think can be helpful

But it doesn’t have to be followed rigidly

You need to link the disability to the action – how does the disability affect the person’s ability to carry out the activity.

You do not want the assessor to determine that a young person’s inability or reluctance to do an activity is a choice – it is because of their disability.

Slides 11 / 12 /13 PIP: Q6 sample answers

  • I have a severe learning disability and am not able to learn the steps involved in washing myself properly
  • I can stand in the shower but I don’t wash myself
  • Aids and appliances wouldn’t help as I wouldn’t understand how to use them
  • I need help from another person to wash the whole of my body
  • Because of my obsessive compulsive disorder it takes me a long time to bathe as I must follow a strict order of washing and a number of times
  • If I am interrupted or are not sure I have done it properly I need to start again
  • Aids and appliances would not help me
  • I have this problem every day
  • You may have a physical disability which means you can’t wash parts of your body
  • Or you are unsafe in a bath or shower on your own – eg slipping
  • You can’t get in or out of a bath
  • Can you check water temperature – do you even understand the need

Don’t use terms like ‘good days’ say ‘better days’

Good days can be interpreted as you not having any problems on those days

Slide 14 PIP: Communicating verbally – talking, listening and understanding

This activity is about your ability to reliably speak in a way that people will understand and also to understand what other people are saying to you.

It is highly relevant to people who have hearing difficulties.

It includes people who have difficulties due to mental health, eg stress, anxiety

It may overlap with question 11 about Engaging with other people

For context:

A simple sentence:  Can I help you?    I would like tea, please

A complex sentence:

I would like tea please, just a splash of milk and no sugar as I always have sweeteners with me when I go out

 

Single idea or piece of information vs several ideas or pieces of information

Slide 15 PIP: Q9  Examples

  • Because of my health condition I can’t produce clear speech
  • Because of my learning disability I have can’t understand what people say to me even when they use simple language
  • My speech is slurred and slow
  • People have to repeat things clearly and slowly
  • I can understand better when I know someone well and they use the words I do understand along with gestures and pictures
  • And they can understand what my gestures and facial expressions mean
  • I have this problem all of the time

Slide 16 PIP: Mixing with other people

This activity is about your ability to reliably get on with other people when you are face-to-face with them, whether this is meeting with friends or attending a medical examination, for example.

You need to make the link between the effects of your condition and the problems you have with mixing with other people. Otherwise, the decision maker may argue that you simply prefer not to mix.  This can be true for other questions but it is especially true for this one.

Some people are natural loners and really don’t want to mix with other people but if that is not the case with your young person you must demonstrate that this inability is due to their disability.

This may be a mental health condition such as depression meaning you have become isolated and get very anxious at the thought of mixing with people . Or it may be a neurodevelopmental condition such as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) which makes it hard for you to understand how social engagements work.

You need to make it clear that not engaging with other people is not a choice but is directly linked to your disability.

Slide 17 PIP: Q11 Examples

  • You may misunderstand or can’t interpret facial expressions or body language
  • You may experience severe anxiety
  • You may cause offence without meaning to
  • You misunderstand what people say and get angry or upset
  • You are shy or anxious and can’t make eye contact
  • You say what you think other people want to hear – even if that causes you difficulties
  • You suffer from extreme fatigue or poor concentration
  • You avoid things like shopping, using public transport or going out at times and to places where you might encounter people you know

Slide 18 PIP: Q11  Examples

  • Because of my ASD I find social interactions confusing and difficult
  • Because of my depression I have become isolated and get anxious at the though of seeing people – even people I know well
  • Because of my ADHD I find it hard to control my temper
  • I get angry and irritated for minor reasons and overreact which causes other people to avoid me
  • I obsess for days before meeting people about how to behave, what to say, strategies to cope
  • I go out very little and when I do go out I go at times when I’m less likely to bump into people I know
  • I am frightened for days beforehand when I have a medical appointment
  • I get so worried I can’t eat and I am sick

Slide 19 PIP: Mobility questions

2 questions:

  • Planning and following a journey
    • Does not include your physical ability to move around
  • Moving around

8 points for standard mobility

12 points for enhanced mobility

Points are added together across both questions

12 points – eligible for mobility allowance – which can be a car

  • However, 12 points (descriptor f) on the Planning a journey question DOES NOT automatically entitle you to a blue badge

 

For an automatic blue badge you need:

At least 8 points on the moving around question

  • Can stand and then move unaided more than 20 metres but no more than 50 metres – 8 points or

Meet descriptor e on the planning a journey question

  • Cannot undertake any journey because it would cause overwhelming psychological distress to the claimant – 10 points

But neither of these gets you mobility allowance!

  • You would need further points on the other questions

 

If you google this be aware that the rules are different in Scotland and Wales and 12 points on planning a journey will get you a blue badge automatically.

You can make a separate application to the accessible transport unit in your borough for a blue badge

The bar is high but it is possible to get a blue badge this way

Slide 20 PIP: Planning a journey descriptors

  1. Can plan and follow the route of a journey unaided – 0 points
  2. Needs prompting to be able to undertake any journey to avoid overwhelming psychological distress to the claimant – 4 points
  3. Cannot plan the route of a journey – 8 points
  4. Cannot follow the route of an unfamiliar journey without another person, assistance dog or orientation aid –10 points
  5. Cannot undertake any journey because it would cause overwhelming psychological distress to the claimant – 10 points
  6. Cannot follow the route of a familiar journey without another person, an assistance dog or an orientation aid – 12 points

Slide 21 PIP: Moving around descriptors

  1. Can stand and then move more than 200 metres, either aided or unaided – 0 points
  2. Can stand and then move more than 50 metres but no more than 200 metres, either aided or unaided – 4 points
  3. Can stand and then move unaided more than 20 metres but no more than 50 metres – 8 points
  4. Can stand and then move using an aid or appliance more than 20 metres but no more than 50 metres – 10 points
  5. Can stand and then move more than 1 metre but no more than 20 metres, either aided or unaided – 12 points
  6. Cannot, either aided or unaided, –

(i) stand; or

(ii) move more than 1 metre – 12 points

Slide 22 PIP: Planning a journey examples

  • Because I have learning disabilities it is not safe for me to undertake a journey to an unfamiliar place on my own
  • I find crowds and busy or noisy places distressing and I will start to flap / repeat the same word over and over / be verbally aggressive
  • I get lost easily because of my poor spatial skills and poor short term memory
  • If someone is with me they can make sure I don’t get confused or lost
  • I am not safe out in public on my own as I don’t understand common dangers such as traffic, cycles, stranger danger so I am very vulnerable to incidents
  • My sight has been affected by my retinopathy and I have blurred and obscured vision so I cannot see everyday obstacles clearly enough to avoid them so I will trip over or bump into them
  • Just thinking of going out makes me very anxious and I start to have a panic attack

Slide 23 PIP: Moving around examples

  • Because of my disability I experience a great deal of pain when walking
  • My condition is worse in the morning but only a little better as the day goes on and I am affected every day
  • Because of my disability I tire very easily
  • I can only move slowly from room to room indoors
  • Out of doors I can only walk about 100 metres before becoming very fatigued and then will have to spend the rest of the day in bed
  • I may have 2-3 better days as long as I have not over exerted myself
  • Because of my disability I get breathless on any exertion and have to stop after a few minutes or walking 20 metres

Slide 24 PIP: Evidence

Evidence is everything

Enough evidence sent in with the application may result in a decision being made without a face to face interview

Some of these reports go towards demonstrating a general level of need

Some will be more specific, eg medical reports describing the condition and any therapy or medications needed

 What is evidence?

  • EHCP
  • Care Plan
  • Social Worker letters
  • GP and medical reports – including therapy reports
  • School reports or letters of support
  • Letters from employers
  • Information from providers of extra curricular activities
  • Childminder / nanny
  • YOUR DAY TO DAY EXAMPLES

Your day to day examples are providing a lot of evidence

Keep in mind the structured approach to answering questions to ensure you are linking ability (or lack of) and disability and providing clear examples of when it doesn’t work; the effects of the failure to do the activity, etc

Stick to the question – don’t start bringing in information that is relevant to a different activity

Slide 25 PIP: Some general advice about your application

  • Don’t miss the deadline – Get an extension – 2 weeks
  • Read the guide that comes with the PIP2 form
    • It is surprisingly helpful!
  • Draft your answer on separate paper – don’t start filling in the form until you are sure
  • Type up your answers and staple them into the form if needed
  • Use additional sheets of paper if you need more space
    • Put your name and NI number on each additional sheet
  • Keep a copy of your forms
  • Have a file to keep all forms, letters, etc
  • Keep a record of any phone calls or emails

Have a go at completing the questions before you sit down with an advisor (if you can find one!)

Slide 26 PIP: Resources

Benefits & Work PIP Guide

https://www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/

Parent / carer subscription is £19.95 per year

Benefits & Work PIP test:

https://www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/personal-independence-payment-pip/pip-self-test

A quick and easy test to see where you might land on the PIP points scale

PIP Points Information:

https://ruils.co.uk/article/pip-points-information/

This document has links to other resources to learn more about PIP

Including a link to a government document aimed at professionals – so you get a slightly different view of the assessment and what assessors are looking for

Lots of organisations offer guides

I recommend you start with the PIP Points Information on the SEND Transitions hub as it is much shorter than most guides and will give you a good idea of what you are doing.

Read the introductory pages of the longer guide

Once you have started on the questions then refer to the information about specific questions in the longer guides

If you go straight into the longer guide you’re likely to find it somewhat overwhelming

You don’t need to do this in a single sitting – a question a day is fine

Slide 27 PIP: Freedom Pass

A quick word about the Freedom Pass

Available from age 5

Some automatic criteria but you can make a case

These last 2 are possibly the most likely for our cohort.

LD is self explanatory

What is interesting is that some of our more able young people may also be eligible.

For example, a young person on the autistic spectrum who would not be able to pass a driving test might be eligible.

You will need evidence – maybe your GP would be able to sign off .

There are 7 categories of eligibility for a Disabled Persons Freedom Pass that automatically qualify:

  • If you are blind or partially sighted
  • If you are profoundly or severely deaf
  • If you are without speech
  • If you have a disability or injury which has a substantial and long-term adverse affect on your ability to walk
  • If you do not have arms or have long term loss of the use of both arms
  • If you have a learning disability (that is, a state of arrested or incomplete development of mind which includes significant impairment of intelligence and social functioning)
  • If you would, if you applied for the grant of a licence to drive a motor vehicle under Part III of the Road Traffic Act 1988, have your application refused pursuant to section 92 of the Act (physical fitness) otherwise than on the ground of persistent misuse of drugs or alcohol

Universal Credit

This is very much an overview

I am not going into all the details or nuances

And I am only considering the most likely scenarios for our young people

Slide 1 UC (28): What is it?

  • It is an income replacement benefit
  • It is a monthly benefit for people who are out of work
  • That might be because:
    • they can’t work
    • they don’t currently have a job
    • they can do some work but not earn enough to support themselves

It replaces a number of legacy benefits

It can be paid fortnightly if you can’t manage a monthly payment

Slide 2 UC (29): Who is eligible

  • Live in the UK
    • There may further requirements if you are not a UK citizen or new to the country
  • Over 18 (and under pension age)
  • Have less than £16,000 in savings
  • Students who already receive ESA and receive a migration notice to claim UC
  • Students who have an established limited capability work; in receipt of PIP; and BEFORE they start their course

Who is NOT eligible?

In general STUDENTS

Work around to set students up to be able to claim UC

Students

If you are studying a non-advanced course and can demonstrate that you are able to work around your studies you may be able to claim UC

The likely basis for this argument would be that if you underwent a work capability assessment (more on that) you would be deemed to have at least a limited capability for work which would reduce your work commitments to pretty much nothing.  Therefore your studies are not incompatible with work requirements because you won’t have any – or any you do have are manageable around your studies.

Non-advanced education is anything below degree level or its equivalent

Some students may be eligible but any grants or loans for their studies might wipe out any UC they receive

Try to avoid being in this situation and make the claim for New-style ESA as soon as your young person is 16 and in receipt of PIP.  This doesn’t bring in any money but it triggers the work capability assessment and (hopefully) establishes that the young person has a limited capability for work which in turn will enable them to claim UC when they finish school even if going onto college – without having to argue about course compatibility with work requirements.

Students need to have LCW/RA established before they claim UC

This is the opposite way round than for non-students

  • ie if we wanted to claim UC the UC claim itself would trigger the WCA to determine our ability to work

Slide 3 UC (30): New-style ESA, credits only

This is a work around to set a young person up to be eligible to claim UC when they leave school even if they are going on to further studies.

It still exists as a benefit for people who have been working but can no longer do so due to a health condition or disability – ie people who have been making NI contributions

Income based Employment and Support Allowance is a legacy benefit

A few people are still on it but being moved to UC over the next few months

The young person must be in receipt of PIP and likely to be deemed to have a limited capability for work or a limited capability for work related activities

LCW means a young person is not expected to be able to work at the moment but may be able to do so in the future

LCWRA means a young person is not expected to be able to work at all

NOTE:  either status does not prevent a young person from working

This doesn’t work if a young person is likely to be deemed fit for work

It doesn’t result in any money being paid

(so, no effect on a parent’s benefits claim)

It does trigger a work capability assessment

  • This is what determines whether a young person has a limited capability for work

The Work Capability Assessment is initially paper based

  • But a young person may have to attend a face to face interview

Once a yp has an LCW / RA status they will be able to claim UC when they finish school – even if continuing in education

  • If they don’t have the LCW / RA status they will not be able to claim UC

Caveats:

If you – the parent – are in receipt of UC you should get advice before your young person claims UC as you may, as a family, be worse off

Once your yp is off your claim, obviously this wouldn’t be a consideration

Slide 4 UC (31): Once the claim has completed

Once a young person’s claim is successful they will receive their payment monthly

  • On the same date each month
  • This will vary from person to person and depends on the date you made the application

You can ask for fortnightly payments

You manage your claim through an online journal

  • It should be checked about weekly once the payments start
  • Possibly every day while the claim is in progress

Messages from the jobcentre are posted in the journal

  • You may get an email or text prompt but also may not

The payments section will detail the amount of the payment

  • Deductions
  • Date of payment

How much?

Standard element under 25          £316.98

Standard element over 25            £400.14

LCWRA (health) element             £423.27

LCW:  no additional payment but very limited – no work requirements

Other limitations

From April 2026 young people under 22 even with the LCWRA status will not receive the additional payment

For new claimants after April 2026 the LCWRA amount will be reduced to £50 per week – about half the current amount

Existing claimants not affected

If you are making a new UC claim now your claim must be completed by the assessment period that includes 5 April 2026 to remain eligible for the higher LCWRA element

Assessment period

I made Sophie’s claim on 29 August so her assessment period runs from the 29th of the month to the 28th of the next month

Payment notified on the 1st of each month

Payment made on the 5th of each month

If she had earned any money in the assessment period that had gone above the threshold then her UC for that period would have been reduced

I’m not sure but I think this would show in the deductions section

Thresholds for earnings – work allowance

For every £1 over the threshold your UC will reduce by 55p

£411 if you get help with housing costs

£684 if no help with housing costs

There will be an upper threshold where the UC claim stops

I don’t know what it is

Probably won’t affect many of our young people

Slide 5 UC (32): Making the claim

The claim is done online

Assuming you are doing this for your young person:

  • You create an account – in their name; DoB; address
  • No place to put in your details separately
  • Username / password; 2 security questions

You can use your contact details – if you are going to be managing the account

If you accidentally create the account in your name with your own email address you will have to start again – and with a different email address

Login regularly during the claim so you can deal with any questions promptly

The journal will include dates of any meetings or phone calls

Slide 6 UC (33): Categories of questions

These are the categories of questions you will need to complete

  • Nationality
  • Housing
  • Children and other people who live with you
  • Work and earnings – theirs
  • Bank account details – the bank account you want the money paid into
  • Monday, savings and investments – theirs
  • Income other than earnings – theirs
  • Education and Training
  • Health
  • Caring for someone

All about your young person – not you!

The answer to some questions may not be as clear as you’d hope

I’m not going into details about the questions as there are going to be a number of variables which will require different information

You can do this question by question over a few days

You will be able to review your answers before submitting

  • Add info
  • Edit info

Eg I didn’t have the actual number to hand for a savings account but I couldn’t proceed with the application without it

  • I put in a random number and then edited it before submitting

You need to accept each section

  • So you have a good chance to review everything you have entered

Slide 7 UC (34): UC – Information to have to hand

Depending your yp’s circumstances you may need quite a lot of info to hand

For example, housing

  • If your yp is in supported living there’s no housing info to enter
  • If they rent privately you are going to need information about their rent and bills, tenancy agreement, landlord, other people they live with
  • I’m not sure what the situation when your young person lives with you but it is important to remember that they live with you – not that you live with them

If they have income or savings you will need details including amounts and account numbers.

  • Don’t miss anything out

Slide 8 UC (35): Health needs or disability

Your young person has a health need or disability!

  • You need to give details of all their health needs and disabilities
  • Include everything!

Health:  list all their health needs

  • For Sophie I listed DS, ASD, underactive thyroid, learning disability, impaired mobility

You will need to submit a fit note – from your GP – as evidence that the yp can’t work

Ideally this will be for about 3 months – otherwise you may need more than one

This will trigger the Work Capability Assessment

This determines a person’s ability to work:

  • Fit to work
  • Limited capability for work
  • Limited capability for work related activities

I’m not going into the details of the work capability assessment questions but there’s a link to a sample form in the resources

Slide 9 UC (36): After submitting the claim

ID verification

Here’s where experiences may differ!

  • There doesn’t seem to be a standard process
  • With everyone going through the same steps

My only experience is with Sophie’s ESA to UC migration, along with several other parents

Slide 10 UC (37): Resources

Slide 11 UC (38): PIP and UC – What’s Changing?

PIP

  • Nothing is changing right now
  • Awaiting the Timms report in autumn 2026

I’m not going to talk about the original proposed changes as they are all subject to change

  • And I think it will muddy the waters if we talk about changes that are probably not going to happen

What I think will happen regardless of any government changes is that proof of need will become harder

  • Assessments are already rigorous but I think it will become more so

Our more able young people are most at risk

  • Let’s be honest, young people like Sophie are not going to lose this benefit

UC

The biggest change is that young people under 22 will NOT receive the additional payment – the LCWRA or health element – regardless of whether the WCA deems them eligible

They will still need to undergo the WCA to get an LCW or LCWRA status

  • LCW status reduces work commitments
  • LCWRA removes work commitments

The second biggest change is that the LCWRA – health – element will be cut in half

Paid at £50 per week

  • Current claimants will not be affected
  • Anyone getting their claim in who will receive their first payment before or in the assessment period that includes 5 April 2026 will get the current rate

If you are thinking of applying for UC for your yp – GET ON WITH IT!

If you are making a new UC claim now your claim must be completed by the assessment period that includes 5 April 2026 to remain eligible for the higher LCWRA element

 

Categories: Benefits, Financial Matters, Personal Independence Payment (PIP), Universal Credit (UC), Workshop Presentation Notes

Tags: benefits, pip, uc