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The Future of PIP: 2026 Rates, Budget Updates and What Disabled People Need Most
Written by
Georgina, Founder of Purpl
Published on
October 30, 2025
As the UK Government prepares its next Budget, disabled and neurodivergent people are watching closely to see if real change is finally coming. For many, Personal Independence Payment (PIP) is a lifeline — not because it replaces income, but because it helps cover the extra costs of being disabled.
With PIP rates 2026 set to rise in line with inflation, there’s growing concern that the increase still won’t match the true cost of living with a disability. From heating homes to accessing healthcare and mobility support, everyday essentials remain out of reach for too many.
Because of this, Purpl ran a nationwide community poll of 785 disabled and neurodivergent members to understand what people truly want from the next Budget — and how government decisions could make daily life fairer. The message that came through loud and clear was one of urgency: we need fairer benefits, faster NHS care, and genuine investment in disability support that reflects real experiences.
In the following article, we’ll look at what PIP is, what the 2026 changes could mean in practice, and what disabled people across the UK say they need most to live with dignity, independence and security.
At a Glance
- PIP (Personal Independence Payment) helps disabled people manage the extra costs of living with a disability — it isn’t an out-of-work benefit.
- Currently, PIP rates apply for both Daily Living and Mobility components, and they are due to increase again with PIP rates 2026. However, many disabled people believe that this rise still won’t go far enough to meet real-life expenses.
- To understand what truly matters most, Purpl asked its community directly. In a poll of 785 disabled and neurodivergent members, participants shared their top priorities for the next Budget:
- 41% want increased disability benefits or stronger cost-of-living support.
- 18% call for better NHS and social care funding.
- 8% each prioritised more accessible housing and better support for carers.
- In addition, members urged the government to provide funding for neurodiversity support, introduce fairer assessments, and reinstate the Winter Fuel Allowance for people receiving PIP.
- Ultimately, the next Budget represents a vital opportunity to make disability support fairer, faster, and more reflective of real life in the UK.
- PIP is usually paid every 4 weeks (not calendar-monthly).
Content Guide
- What is PIP?
- Why PIP Matters for Disabled and Neurodivergent People
- Current PIP Rates and What’s Expected for PIP Rates 2026
- Purpl Research: What Disabled People Want from the Budget
- What the Winter Budget 2025 Should Include for PIP and Beyond
- How these Changes Would Impact Disabled People
- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
- Final Thoughts
What is PIP?
Personal Independence Payment (PIP) provides non-means-tested financial support to disabled people aged 16 to State pension age who have long-term health conditions or disabilities that affect their daily life or mobility.
Importantly, PIP is not an out-of-work benefit. Instead, it exists to help cover the additional costs of living with a disability — from higher energy bills to mobility aids, specialist equipment, and extra support with daily living. These are expenses that many non-disabled people never have to consider, yet they’re essential for maintaining independence and wellbeing.
PIP is made up of two parts, and depending on your circumstances, you may qualify for one or both:
- Daily Living – for help with personal care, managing medication, preparing meals, or other everyday tasks.
- Mobility – for support with getting around safely, whether that’s travelling independently or using adapted transport.
Together, these components are designed to recognise the practical realities of disability — not to replace income, but to help balance the extra costs that come with it.
Why PIP Matters for Disabled and Neurodivergent People
At Purpl, we hear every day from members who rely on PIP to cover essential costs — the kinds of expenses that non-disabled people often don’t have to think about. Whether it’s paying for specialist food, keeping the heating on through colder months, or affording adapted transport, these are not luxuries; they’re the basics of living well and independently.
However, despite this vital support, disabled and neurodivergent people continue to face a range of unique pressures that make daily life harder. For example:
- Soaring living costs and rising energy bills mean that even with PIP, many are struggling to make ends meet.
- Delays in NHS and social care treatment often force people to pay privately or go without essential care altogether.
- Assessments that fail to recognise hidden or fluctuating disabilities can leave people feeling unseen, misunderstood, and unfairly judged.
As a result, the financial, emotional, and physical toll on disabled people keeps growing — which is why we urgently need a fairer and more responsive system.
When PIP rates fail to keep up with inflation, the impact is immediate and deeply felt. Many disabled people find themselves having to choose between heating, food, or vital health-related expenses — choices no one should ever have to make.
Over time, this gap between rising living costs and limited support only widens, leaving people less able to stay independent and more reliant on underfunded services.
That’s why the upcoming Budget, and the confirmed adjustments to PIP rates 2026, matter so much. A simple percentage rise isn’t enough if it doesn’t reflect real-world disability costs and service backlogs.
The next few months will determine whether this government is willing to recognise that disabled people deserve fair, consistent support that keeps pace with everyday life.
Current PIP Rates and What’s Expected for PIP Rates 2026
Current weekly PIP rates (2025):
- Daily Living: £73.90 (Standard) | £110.40 (Enhanced)
- Mobility: £29.20 (Standard) | £77.05 (Enhanced)
Source: Benefit and Pension Rates 2025 to 2026 (DWP) — Personal Independence Payment.
At current (April 2025) rates, enhanced Daily Living + enhanced Mobility equals £749.80 per 4 weeks.
Expected PIP rates for April 2026:
If current policy continues, PIP rates from April 2026 will be based on September 2025 CPI — the Consumer Price Index measure of inflation. Final figures are usually announced at the Autumn Statement and then confirmed in the annual Up-rating Order before April.
Legislative reference: See Parliament publications for benefits legislation and up-rating instruments.
For illustration only: if CPI were 3.6%, today’s enhanced Daily Living (£110.40) would rise by about £4.00/week and enhanced Mobility (£77.05) by about £2.80/week. Actual 2026 figures will depend on the confirmed CPI and the government’s decision.
While any rise helps, the real cost of disability keeps climbing faster than inflation, leaving many people struggling.
Purpl Research: What Disabled People Want From the Budget
In response to growing concerns about the rising cost of living and uncertainty around future welfare changes. Purpl ran a poll in October 2025 within our private members’ group of over 6,000 people. In just 24 hours, 785 disabled and neurodivergent members took part, answering one simple but important question:
“What would you most like to see announced in the next Budget to better support disabled and neurodivergent people in the UK?”
The results showed a powerful message about what matters most to the community:
- 41% want increased disability benefits or stronger cost-of-living support
- 18% called for improved NHS and social care funding
- 8% want more affordable housing and accessible home adaptations
- 8% prioritised stronger support for carers and family members
- 5% highlighted better access to employment and fairer workplace support
- 5% said more funding for neurodiversity diagnosis, treatment and shared care
- 15% raised a mix of other priorities including mental-health support, mobility schemes and accessible sport
Other key priorities raised included:
- Greater recognition of mental health and shorter waiting times for assessment and treatment
- Better public awareness of the Motability scheme and its real costs
- Help with car adaptations and accessibility for wheelchair and scooter users
- Better access to disability sports and physical activities
What Members Told Us
Applying for Attendance Allowance is a nightmare — the forms, the waiting times, and assessors who don’t understand disability.
— Suki
Bring back the Winter Fuel Allowance for people on PIP — we’re at home more, and the cold affects our health.
— Tracy
We need investment in NHS pathways and job support. We can’t work if we can’t get treated.
— Jemma
DWP should pay when their assessments are overturned on appeal — it would make them more accountable.
— Louise
People just want to be treated fairly. Many of us are scared of reassessments that don’t reflect lifelong conditions.
— Alexis
What the Autumn Statement 2025 Should Include for PIP and Beyond
Disabled and neurodivergent people tell us small changes won’t work — we need meaningful reform. From those conversations, our community has made it clear what should sit at the heart of the next Budget:
- First, a meaningful rise in PIP to reflect the real-life costs of disability, not just inflation figures on paper.
- Secondly, faster and fairer assessments carried out by better-trained assessors who truly understand fluctuating, hidden and neurodivergent conditions.
- We also need better NHS and social care funding to cut waiting lists and keep care consistent for people with complex needs.
- Just as importantly, the government must recognise neurodiversity and create shared care pathways for ADHD, autism, and related conditions that too often fall through the cracks.
- And finally, it must protect existing claimants, making sure future reforms don’t punish long-term recipients who rely on this vital support.
These priorities build a roadmap for a fairer, more inclusive system that helps people live independently and with dignity.
How these Changes Would Impact Disabled People
If the Autumn Statement includes real investment in disability support:
- Individuals could stay warm, cover essential living costs, and maintain independence.
- Neurodivergent people could access earlier diagnosis and medication through shared care.
- Carers and families would receive recognition and respite support.
- The community would see disability treated not as a cost to manage but as a vital part of a fair society.
As one Purpl member put it:
We don’t want special treatment — just the chance to live with dignity and without fear of being forgotten.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q1: What is PIP and who can claim it?
A: PIP (Personal Independence Payment) helps disabled people, aged 16 to pension age, with the extra costs of daily life or mobility needs. It’s not based on income or employment status.
Q2: What are the current and 2026 PIP rates?
A: 2025 rates are £73.90/£110.40 for Daily Living and £29.20/£77.05 for Mobility. 2026 rates will rise with inflation in April.
Q3: Can I get PIP if I work or have savings?
A: Yes. PIP is non-means-tested and tax-free. You can work, study, or have savings and still receive it.
Q4: How are PIP awards decided?
A: Through a points-based assessment measuring how your condition affects daily tasks and mobility.
Q5: When will new PIP rates be confirmed?
A: The government usually announces new benefit rates at the Autumn Statement (late 2025) and confirms them in the Up-rating Order ahead of April 2026.
Final Thoughts
The next Budget will be a defining moment for disabled and neurodivergent people in the UK. Personal Independence Payment (PIP) is meant to cover the extra costs of being disabled, not to replace income or act as an out-of-work benefit. However, over time, it has fallen behind the real cost of living.
With PIP rates 2026 expected to rise only slightly, many people are worried that the increase won’t go far enough. As a result, disabled people are still struggling with rising bills, long NHS waits, and a lack of accessible housing and care.
Through our Purpl community poll of 785 members, we heard a clear message. People want higher disability benefits, better NHS and social care funding, fairer assessments, and stronger recognition of neurodiversity and carers.
Ultimately, disabled people are asking for fairness, not favouritism. They want systems that recognise the real cost of disability and support independence rather than dependency.
In the end, a fairer Budget would do more than raise payments — it would show that the UK is ready to invest in inclusion, accessibility, and equality for everyone. At Purpl, we’ll continue to amplify those voices and campaign for practical change that helps every disabled person live with confidence, dignity, and respect.
Sources
Benefit and pension rates 2025 to 2026 (DWP) — PIP.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/benefit-and-pension-rates-2025-to-2026/benefit-and-pension-rates-2025-to-2026#personal-independence-payment
Parliament publications — welfare legislation and up-rating instruments.
https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/bills/cbill/59-01/0267/240267.pdf
About the Author
Georgina Colman is the founder of Purpl, a platform dedicated to helping disabled people save money through meaningful discounts and exclusive offers. Living with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and ADHD, she understands first-hand the financial pressures that come with managing a disability — and she’s on a mission to help others offset those costs and live more freely.
As an ambulatory wheelchair user, Georgina knows what it’s like to face a loss of independence and navigate daily challenges. Her passion for holistic health, nutrition, and inflammation management fuels her commitment to staying well and empowering others to do the same.
Through Purpl, she aims to build more than just a savings platform — she’s creating an essential resource for disabled people, offering practical support, expert advice, and genuine financial relief.
The Purpl Members Private Facebook Group provides a safe, supportive community where members can connect, share experiences, and lift each other up.
Looking ahead, Georgina’s long-term vision is to launch a foundation offering grants to disabled individuals who need additional financial support, ensuring no one is left behind due to circumstance or cost.
Follow @Purpldiscounts on social media for the latest disability discounts, financial advice, and accessibility resources.
Other articles, or links, you might find useful:
How to Apply for PIP and Maximise the Benefits in the UK
How to Challenge a PIP Decision in the UK: What to Do If Your Claim Is Refused or Underpaid
PIP Backdated Payments: How Long Will You Wait?
What Illnesses Qualify for Disability Living Allowance & PIP?
Going Abroad On PIP: The 4-Week Rule That Could Pause Your Payments
PIP Discounts and Freebies 2025: Maximise Savings with your PIP Benefits
