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Personal Independence Payment

Asked by Steve DarlingLiberal DemocratDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled Answered 15 November 2024UIN 13636

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the level of PIP to support disabled people with the extra cost of disability.

Answered by Sir Stephen Timms

Personal Independence Payment (PIP) provides a contribution to the extra costs that may arise from a disability or health condition. There is no objective way of deciding what an adequate level of PIP should be, as everyone has different requirements reflecting their own circumstances and priorities. DWP pays close attention to estimates of the extra costs faced by disabled people; including academic research, analysis by Scope, and DWP’s own commissioned research on the Uses of Health and Disability Benefits from 2019.

In order to improve the evidence in this area, DWP is now undertaking a new survey of Personal Independence Payment customers to understand more about their disability related needs. This project has a methodological advisory group including representatives of disabled people’s organisations, disability charities and academic experts. It is expected to produce findings in Summer 2025.

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