The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) have confirmed the new payment rates for State Pensions and benefits for the 2025/26 financial year. The published guidance on GOV.UK provides a full list of the new weekly rates and additional elements for people on Universal Credit, Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) and Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA) along with the uprating for Personal Independence Payment (PIP), Disability Living Allowance (DLA) and Attendance Allowance.
Payments will rise by 1. 7 per cent and the new rates will start for most people on April 7. The Scottish Government has already announced that devolved benefits such as Adult Disability Payment (ADP), Child Disability Payment, Pension Age Disability Payment (PADP) and Carer Support Payment will also rise by 1.7 per cent – this is to prevent a two-tier benefits system for claimants waiting to transfer from DWP to the Social Security Scotland system.
A successful claim for PIP or ADP is currently worth between £28.70 and £184.30 each week in additional financial support and as the benefit is paid every four weeks – resulting in 13 payments over the course of a year instead of 12 – this amounts to between £114.80 and £737.20 every payment period.
Annual uprating 2025/26
An uprating of 1.7 per cent will see people on disability benefits receive between £29.20 and £187.45 each week, some £116.80 or £749.80 every four-week pay period. Over the course of the financial year, this will see people on the highest awards receive £9,747 in extra cash help.
It’s important to be aware the highest figure of £749.80 is based on someone receiving the highest award for both the daily living and mobility components of PIP, DLA or ADP. Attendance Allowance does not include a mobility component.
PIP and Adult Disability Payment
There are two components to PIP and ADP – daily living and mobility. The new weekly payment rates are shown below.
Daily living component
- Standard: £73.90 (from £72.65)
- Enhanced: £110.40 (from £108.55)
Mobility component
- Standard: £29.20 (from £28.70)
- Enhanced: £77.05 (from £75.75)
PIP and ADP payment combinations 2025/26
People could be awarded the lowest rate of one or both parts, the highest rate of one or both parts, or a mixed award of the lower or higher rates of each component.
The DWP or Social Security Scotland annual uprating letter – usually issued before the new payment rates start in April – will set out which components you have been awarded and how much you will be paid weekly and per pay period over the 2025/26 financial year.
Single component award only
You may be awarded the lower or higher daily living or mobility component:
- Standard daily living only – £73.90 per week, £295.60 per pay period
- Enhanced daily living only – £110.40 per week, £441.60 per pay period
- Standard mobility only – £29.20 per week, £116.80 per pay period
- Enhanced mobility only – £77.05 per week, £308.20 per pay period
Lower rate for daily living and mobility
If you are on the lower rates of both components, your new payments will be:
- Standard daily living and standard mobility – £103.10 per week, £412.40 per pay period
Higher rate for daily living and mobility
If you are on the higher rates of both components, your new payments will be:
- Enhanced daily living and enhanced mobility – £187.45 per week, £749.80 per pay period
Lower rate of one component and higher rate of the other
If you are on the lower rate of one component and the higher rate of the other, you will receive:
- Standard daily living and enhanced mobility – £150.95 per week, £603.80 per pay period
- Enhanced daily living and standard mobility – £139.60 per week, £558.40 per pay period.
Remember, PIP, ADP and all disability benefits are tax-free and do not affect the benefit cap.
Online PIP ‘test’
If you are thinking about making a claim for PIP – or ADP – an online ‘PIP test’ could help you make up your mind as it gives an indication of the number of points you would be awarded, which in turn, determines the level of award you might receive – standard or enhanced rate.
It’s important to be aware that the free online ‘PIP test’ provided by the independent benefits advisory forum, Benefits and Work, is not a guarantee that someone will be eligible for PIP or ADP.
An application to the DWP for PIP or Social Security Scotland for ADP also takes other eligibility factors into account including supporting evidence on how a disability, physical or mental illness or long-term health condition affects you.
According to DWP guidance on GOV.UK, entitlement to PIP is not based on an individual’s health condition or disability alone, but on how much a long-term health condition or disability impacts an individual’s daily life or mobility.
This PIP self-test is completely anonymous and has questions plus the points awarded for each descriptor answer and will help you understand:
- Whether you would score enough points to receive PIP for each component (daily living and mobility)
- Whether you would qualify for the standard or enhanced rate of each component
If you submit your email on the self-test page you will also be sent a copy of your results which could help you accurately complete the ‘ How your disability affects you ‘ evidence form that you will receive from the DWP. Take the PIP self-test online here.
It’s slightly different for people in Scotland applying for ADP as this can be done online and the questions asked contain images and more detail per question to help people understand what is being asked. You can find out more about the ADP assessment questions on the CPAG (Child Poverty Action Group) website here.
More than 530 health conditions are being supported by PIP or ADP, but the list is not definitive and contains an ‘unknown’ category.
Who might be eligible for PIP or ADP?
To be eligible for PIP or ADP, you must have a health condition or disability where you:
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have had difficulties with daily living or getting around (or both) for 3 months
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expect these difficulties to continue for at least 9 months
You usually need to have lived in the UK for at least two of the last three years and be in the country when you apply.
In addition to what we have outlined above if you get or need help with any of the following because of your condition, you should consider applying for PIP or ADP.
- preparing, cooking or eating food
- managing your medication
- washing, bathing or using the toilet
- dressing and undressing
- engaging and communicating with other people
- reading and understanding written information
- making decisions about money
- planning a journey or following a route
- moving around
There are different rules if you are terminally ill, you will find these on the GOV.UK website here.
DWP or Social Security Scotland will assess how difficult you find daily living and mobility tasks. For each task they will look at:
- whether you can do it safely
- how long it takes you
- how often your condition affects this activity
- whether you need help to do it, from a person or using extra equipment
How you are assessed
You will be assessed by an independent healthcare professional to help the DWP determine the level of financial support, if any, you need, for PIP.
Face-to-face consultations for health-related benefits are offered alongside video calls, telephone and paper-based assessments – it’s important to be aware the health professional and DWP determine which type of assessment is best suited for each claimant. You can find out more about DWP PIP assessments here.
Adult Disability Payment assessments will not involve face-to-face assessments, unless this is preferred by the claimant – find out more about the changes here.
How do you make a claim for PIP?
You can make a new claim by contacting the DWP, you will find all the information you need to apply on the GOV.UK website here.
Before you call, you will need:
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your contact details
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your date of birth
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your National Insurance number – this is on letters about tax, pensions and benefits
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your bank or building society account number and sort code
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your doctor or health worker’s name, address and telephone number
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dates and addresses for any time you’ve spent abroad, in a care home or hospital
How to apply for ADP
People can apply ADP, over the phone, by post or in-person. To find out more or apply, visit the dedicated pages on mygov.scot here or call Social Security Scotland on 0800 182 2222.