National welfare reform is coming — and Kingston upon Thames is not insulated from it. At a full council meeting in July 2025, councillors were told that an estimated 1,280 Kingston residents are at risk of losing their Personal Independence Payment (PIP) under changes the government plans to introduce from 2026.
That is not an abstract statistic. Those are 1,280 people in this borough — in Surbiton, New Malden, Tolworth, Hook, and across every ward — who may be facing a significant cut to their income.
This post sets out what we know, what questions remain unanswered, and where residents can go for support right now.
Personal Independence Payment is a benefit paid to people aged 16 to 64 who have a long-term physical or mental health condition or disability that affects their daily life or mobility. It is not means-tested — it is paid regardless of whether someone is in work or has savings.
For many disabled people, PIP is not a top-up. It is a lifeline that covers specialist equipment, transport to appointments, care support, and basic living costs that non-disabled people do not face.
The government's welfare reform package, announced in 2025 and scheduled to take effect from 2026, centres on tighter eligibility criteria for PIP. The key change is to the daily living component of PIP: under the proposed new rules, claimants will need to score a minimum of four points on at least one daily living activity to qualify — rather than accumulating points across multiple activities as the current system allows.
In practice, this means someone who struggles moderately with several tasks — cooking, washing, communicating — but does not score four points on any single one could lose their entitlement entirely, even if their overall need is substantial.
The government has also signalled reforms to the Work Capability Assessment and the Universal Credit health element, which could affect a further group of claimants separately from PIP.
The figure of 1,280 Kingston claimants at risk was raised at the July 2025 full council meeting. That number represents residents whose current PIP awards may not meet the new four-point threshold when their claims are reassessed.
It is worth being precise about what "at risk" means here. It does not guarantee that all 1,280 will lose their payments — some will score four points on at least one activity and retain their award. But it does mean they will face reassessment under stricter rules, with no certainty of the outcome.
Reassessments are stressful, time-consuming, and frequently contested. Citizens Advice data consistently shows that a significant proportion of PIP decisions are overturned on appeal — which raises an obvious question about the reliability of initial assessments in the first place.
Kingston Council has expressed concern about the impact on local residents. But it is worth being clear about what the council can and cannot do.
Benefit levels are set by central government. Kingston cannot top up PIP payments or shield residents from eligibility changes. What it can do is fund advice services, flag the issue publicly, and ensure support pathways are visible.
The council is already operating under significant financial pressure. Its projected four-year budget gap stands at £18 million (Medium Term Financial Strategy 2026–2030), and reserves sit at £14.2 million — a gap that underlines how little headroom exists for emergency local responses to national policy failures.
The questions residents should be asking: Has the council formally written to the Department for Work and Pensions setting out the local impact? Has it lobbied Kingston's MPs? What specific funding has it committed to advice services in 2026/27?
While the 1,280 figure covers a wide range of conditions, those likely to be most affected include:
If you currently receive PIP or support someone who does, do not wait for a reassessment letter to arrive before seeking advice.
There are several local and national resources available:
Kingston Citizens Advice provides free, independent advice on benefits, including help preparing for reassessments and lodging appeals. They can be contacted via their local office or the national Citizens Advice website.
Kingston Council's Local Assistance Scheme exists to support residents in financial crisis. It is not a substitute for PIP, but it can help bridge gaps in acute situations.
Disability Rights UK publishes detailed guides on PIP assessments, the points system, and how to challenge decisions — available free at disabilityrightsuk.org.
Turn2us (turn2us.org.uk) has a benefits calculator and grants search tool that can identify other support you may be entitled to if PIP is reduced or removed.
Kingston Carers' Network supports unpaid carers across the borough, many of whom are caring for someone whose PIP award is at risk.
If you receive a letter about reassessment, do not respond without getting advice first. The way a claim is presented — the language used, the evidence submitted — makes a material difference to the outcome.
This is a national policy decision, but its consequences are intensely local. The 1,280 residents flagged at Kingston's July 2025 full council meeting are people who rely on this income to live with dignity.
At the same time, Kingston's overstretched adult social care system — a key driver of that £18 million budget gap — is likely to face increased demand if disabled residents lose PIP and can no longer fund the support it currently helps them buy privately.
The council cannot fix this alone. But it can be transparent, it can advocate loudly, and it can ensure every resident who needs advice knows where to find it.
If you or someone you know is affected by these changes, or if you want to know what Kingston Council is doing to protect the 1,280 residents at risk, contact your local councillor directly through Council Clarity. Ask them what representations the council has made to government, what local advice funding has been secured for 2026/27, and how the council plans to monitor the impact ward by ward. Your councillors represent you — make sure they hear from you before these changes take effect.
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