Julie King, Family Support Worker tells us about the latest updates to benefit changes and what you can do to understand your entitlements
Planned cuts to Personal Independence Payment have been scrapped for now, but changes to Universal Credit are still on the way. Following a series of concessions, the government’s welfare reform bill has been substantially changed. Read on for key updates
Summary of key points
1. No changes to PIP for now: the government has dropped its plan to tighten PIP eligibility rules. The Timms Review will decide the future of PIP. This review is not expected to report its findings until Autumn 2026 at the earliest.
2. Universal credit (UC) changes are still going ahead: New applicants for the health element of UC from April 2026 will receive a reduced rate.
3. People already receiving the health element of UC will be protected from both the cut and a previously planned freeze. Their benefit will now continue to rise with inflation.
4. Plans remain to abolish the Work Capability Assessment (WCA) and use the PIP assessment as the single gateway for the health element of UC, though this will require separate legislation.
Find out what you are entitled to
Julie says, “It is generally a good idea to have a regular benefits check. Many people are eligible for benefits they don’t claim, and regularly checking can help ensure you and your family are receiving all the financial support you’re entitled to. You can use an independent, free and anonymous benefits calculator to check what you could be entitled to.” This will give you an estimate of:
- the benefits you could get
- how much your benefit payments could be
- how your benefits will be affected if you start work or increase your hours
- how your benefits will be affected if your circumstances change – for example, if you have a child or move in with your partner
For information on income-related benefits, contribution-based benefits, Universal Credit, Council Tax Reduction and Carer’s Allowance you can use the Turn2us benefits calculator, a free online tool.