DWP Personal Independence Payment (PIP) warning - way to protect your benefit from future changes

The newly formed Labour Government has wasted no time in getting to work, with Cabinet Ministers already in their posts and vowing to deliver for the people of Great Britain. Ten charities have penned a letter to the new Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Liz Kendall MP, imploring her to abandon the previously proposed Conservative plans to overhaul the welfare system, including changes to Personal Independence Payment (PIP).

One of the main points of contention in the Tory reforms was the proposal to eliminate cash PIP payments for some claimants with specific conditions. The suggested alternatives in the 'Modernising support for independent living: the health and disability Green Paper', propose a shift away from a fixed monthly cash payment system, introducing vouchers, a receipts system, one-off grants and purchases for products or services through a catalogue scheme.

Labour, while in Opposition, resisted these proposals, so it seems unlikely they will be maintained. However, there are several steps that all 3.5 million people currently claiming PIP can take now to safeguard their award, and crucially, protect their payments from any future alterations to the disability benefit.

If you don't already possess a copy of your PIP 2 evidence form - the health questionnaire you completed prior to receiving an assessment - contact the PIP enquiry line on 0800 121 4433 and request them to send you a copy.

Having a copy of this will assist you in any future reviews for PIP, or Adult Disability Payment (ADP) if you are due to transfer to the Social Security Scotland system before the end of 2025, reports the Daily Record.

The form can serve as a reminder of the original responses you gave to the daily living and mobility questions. More importantly, it can help you articulate how your condition affects you now - especially if your circumstances have changed and your health has declined or you have developed other issues.

Keeping a diary is one of the most crucial tools all disability benefit claimants should maintain, and it doesn't need to be a paper-based document. Using your mobile phone, computer, laptop or tablet can be a simple way to make notes of 'bad days' and recording key moments when something relating to your condition happened.

Creating a specific note, with the time and date, where you can add things you might want to mention at a future PIP review, or just adding it to the calendar function.

This isn't something that needs to be done daily, just things that are relevant to how your condition affects you. This could include everyday tasks you found difficult to do on your own, forgetting to take medication, or feeling low or frustrated as a result of your condition.

Other things to consider taking a note of would be if doing everyday things:

• Were painful for you to do

• Take you a long time to do

• Put you or someone else at risk

• Makes you feel breathless

• Makes you unsteady

Keeping a diary of health events is a useful strategy for individuals with fluctuating conditions, as it can assist in explaining 'good days and bad days' to healthcare professionals. It also allows you to track the frequency of significant health incidents, which are often so regular that they are easily forgotten.

It's equally crucial to attend all medical appointments related to your condition to ensure your records are current. This could include sessions such as counselling or physiotherapy.

Contacting a charity with expertise in your condition could also be beneficial, even if it's just to confirm that you're not missing out on additional support. These suggestions are just a few ways individuals receiving PIP or Attendance Allowance can begin to safeguard their payment award by creating a personal evidence trail, making it easier to recall specific instances of how their condition impacts them.