PIP assessor, USA News: Any attempt to cut disability benefits could backfire by pushing even more young people out of work, former Personal Independence Payment (PIP) assessors have warned. The UK Government is set to overhaul PIP, arguing that the benefit claimed by 4.1 million people was not fit for purpose. Ministers are particularly keen to encourage more young people into work, though changes will not be set out until after the Budget.
Alan Milburn, who is leading a Government review into 16 to 24-year-olds not in education, employment or training, wants benefit cuts to redistribute money to employment support. However, former assessors have told reporters that the Government must be very careful not to push disabled PIP claimants who already have a job out of work.
Cuts would remove independence to work
Currently, PIP is not tied to work and is aimed at meeting the extra costs of daily life and mobility faced by disabled people. Worth up to £800 a month, the money helps some disabled people stay in work by supporting their transport, equipment, care, and other costs. Around one in five PIP claimants are in work, according to a 2025 survey by the Money and Mental Health Policy Institute, and nearly two-thirds of this group stated they would need to reduce or give up employment if they lost PIP.
James Merrell, a former PIP assessor who worked for one of the Department for Work and Pensions’ contract companies from 2023 to 2024, said the Government’s rhetoric failed to recognise how much PIP supports people in employment. Merrell expressed concern that ministers might mistake the success of working disabled individuals for evidence that support should be withdrawn.
Disability does not have an age threshold
Labour ministers are reportedly considering removing the health element from universal credit for under-25s who are disabled or ill, and potential changes to PIP could also affect this age group, though those with the most severe disabilities are not expected to lose money. Merrell argued that targeting young people for cuts or job search requirements is unfair, emphasizing that disability has no age threshold.
Nicola, a trained mental health nurse who conducted PIP assessments between 2022 and 2023, added that the push to get young claimants into work is based on a misconception that people on PIP do not work. Both former assessors also dismissed proposals by Reform and the Conservatives to stop PIP for mild conditions such as anxiety and ADHD, noting that mental health conditions can be just as debilitating as physical health issues.
