Government data has revealed that recipients of Personal Independence Payment (PIP) with three specific physical conditions are the most likely to lose their benefits. Under the Labour Government's plan, an estimated 400,000 individuals receiving the daily living element of PIP are expected to be cut, as part of a bid to reduce the annual welfare budget by £4.5 billion by 2030. The eligibility rules for the benefit will be tightened in November 2026, but those currently claiming it will not see any changes until their scheduled review.

To qualify for the daily living component - which is worth £72.65 or £108.55 per week - applicants must undergo an assessment to determine how safely, quickly and efficiently they can perform 10 daily activities. At present, claimants can qualify with a score of one or two across several categories.

However, under the proposed changes, applicants will need to score at least four points in one activity and at least eight overall to receive the lower payment - while a score of 12 is needed for the upper band. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has released data showing the conditions with the highest proportion of claimants who score under four in all categories - and therefore will not qualify, reports .

The three conditions most at risk of losing benefits are back pain, arthritis, and 'other regional musculoskeletal diseases', with new figures revealing a stark outlook for claimants. According to the data, out of 194,000 individuals claiming Personal Independence Payment (PIP) for back pain, a staggering 79 per cent - the highest percentage - will be ineligible under the revised criteria.

Arthritis sufferers are also facing a grim reality, as 77 per cent of the 279,000 claimants will no longer receive the benefit. The third group, categorised as 'other regional musculoskeletal diseases', which includes 136,000 beneficiaries, will see 71 per cent of them disqualified under the new regulations.

'Other regional musculoskeletal diseases' specifically refers to conditions that affect certain parts of the body, such as muscles, tendons, ligaments, bones, and joints in a particular area, as opposed to the entire musculoskeletal system. James Merrell of CWS Limited, an expert who assists claimants through PIP procedures, condemned the changes in a conversation with the Daily Star, labelling them as "nothing short of structural gas lighting".

He expressed his concern: "In my view, the people being targeted by these PIP reforms are not simply struggling with 'back pain' or 'musculoskeletal conditions' in a casual sense. Many are living with severe, chronic, and often invisible conditions that fundamentally restrict their ability to function day to day.

"These are not short-term ailments, they are long-term, complex disabilities that impact every facet of their lives, mobility, endurance, cognition, pain, fatigue, mental health, and dignity.

"To reduce their needs to whether they can score 'four points' on an arbitrary, narrow test is not only clinically unsound, but also disgusting and humiliating.

"This kind of reform isn't about fairness or accuracy. It's about institutionalised victim-blaming, punishing people for illnesses and disabilities that are overwhelmingly shaped by factors outside their control, genetics, trauma, systemic inequality, environmental determinants of health, and more.

"It's nothing short of structural gaslighting, and it will cost people not just their dignity, but their livelihoods, independence, and lives."