LCWRA and PIP offer a lifeline to many people in the UK living with disabilities or health conditions. In this post, we’ll break down how LCWRA and PIP work, whether you can claim both together, and what changes are coming up under the government’s welfare review plans.
No. Although both PIP and LCWRA are government-issued financial support options, they aren’t the same thing. Here are the key differences:
Personal Independence Payment (PIP): PIP is a benefit designed to cover the costs of daily living for people with illness or disability. This money might be used for home adaptations, support with personal care, or mobility aids. PIP isn’t means tested, so you can receive it regardless of how much or how little you earn.
Limited Capability for Work and Work-Related Activity (LCWRA): Unlike PIP, which is a benefit in its own right, LCWRA can be thought of as a Universal Credit ‘add-on’. LCWRA is awarded on top of the standard Universal Credit amount to people who can’t work due to their disability or illness. LCWRA is considered ‘means tested’ since your overall eligibility for Universal Credit is determined by your income, savings, and household circumstances.
Both LCWRA and PIP are assessed based on a point scoring system. Only applicants who score highly enough will receive LCWRA or PIP.
Yes. As we discussed in the previous section, both PIP and LCWRA serve different purposes. This means that if you have no way of funding both your day-to-day living activities and the extra expenses associated with your disability or illness, you should put in a claim for both. If your claim is successful, you’ll receive:
Any health improvements, changes in household income, or return-to-work plans should be reported to both Universal Credit and PIP teams.
Being approved for PIP or LCWRA isn’t necessarily about how ‘easy’ the tests are to pass. It’s more about your individual circumstances and how you’re affected by your condition(s).
For example, if workplace-style tasks are your main barrier, LCWRA may score you more points. If personal care or getting around is hardest, you may score more on PIP.
As it stands, the tests differ in the following ways:
LCWRA Assessment: To get LCWRA, you’ll fill out a form and may attend a Work Capability Assessment. This looks at how your health affects things like standing, lifting, mixing with others, and concentrating. Each task is called a ‘descriptor’, and you score points for each one you struggle with. If you score 15 points or more overall, you may qualify for LCWRA.
PIP Assessment: For PIP, you’ll answer questions (and possibly have a face-to-face or phone assessment) about how your condition affects your daily life and mobility. There are 12 Daily Living activities (this includes preparing food, washing, and dressing) and 12 Mobility activities (like moving around and planning journeys). You’ll get points for each activity you have difficulties with:
Important change from November 2026: For new Daily Living PIP claims, you must also get at least 4 points in one single activity, not just a total of 8 points overall.
Along with point scoring changes for PIP, the UK government has recently announced a number of other significant adjustments to both PIP and Universal Credit health support. Here’s what you need to know:
LCWRA Rate Cut (Apr 2026)
Anyone making a new Universal Credit claim from April 2026 will qualify for a £217.26/month LWCRA payment instead of £423.27/month. This amount will be fixed until 2029/30.
If you are already receiving LCWRA payments, your payments will rise with inflation, following a government concession made in late June 2025. This applies to:
Universal Credit Allowance Uplift
From April 2026, the standard Universal Credit allowance will increase by £7/week, rising from £91/week to £98/week for a single person aged 25 or over. This increase will be locked in until 2029/30, meaning the amount you get won’t rise further with inflation during this period.
Work Capability Assessment Phase-Out (by 2028/29)
By 2028/29, the government plans to scrap the Work Capability Assessment (WCA) and use the PIP Daily Living component as the new qualifier for extra Universal Credit due to health issues.
This means that only people receiving PIP Daily Living will get the health-related UC payment (what is currently known as LCWRA).
These reforms are still progressing through Parliament, so for the latest info, it’s best to check GOV.UK.
LCWRA stands for Limited Capability for Work and Work-Related Activity. It’s an extra part of Universal Credit for people judged unable to work or prepare for work due to health. Eligibility is decided via a Work Capability Assessment, where you score points against descriptors covering physical, mental, or social functions.
Personal Independence Payment helps with the additional costs of long-term physical or mental health conditions. It has two components: Daily Living and Mobility. Each component is assessed via activity descriptors scored to determine your rate.
Yes. Existing LCWRA recipients will continue to receive the £423.27/month rate, and thanks to a government concession made in late June 2025, this rate will now rise with inflation each year until 2029/30. This protection also applies to new claimants who meet the Severe Conditions Criteria and terminally ill claimants under special rules.
Not yet. Until the Work Capability Assessment ends (around 2028/29), you must complete both a PIP claim and the UC health assessment separately.
No. You must still undergo a separate Work Capability Assessment for LCWRA, even if you receive PIP. Although, as we’ve discussed, this is set to change in the future.
Yes – the LCWRA label is being phased out. By 2028/29, the government plans to replace LCWRA with a new category called the Health Group, as part of scrapping the Work Capability Assessment. From that point, only people receiving the PIP Daily Living component will qualify for extra Universal Credit due to health.
Applying for these benefits can feel overwhelming, but you don’t have to do it alone. Here’s where to get help:
Free Support with Your Application: Citizens Advice offers a brilliant free service called Help to Claim that walks you through the whole Universal Credit process, including the Work Capability Assessment. If you’re applying for PIP, local disability charities like Scope or Mind can help you fill out forms and even do practice assessments with you.
Building Your Case: The strongest applications have good evidence, so ask your GP or any specialists for reports that show how your condition affects your daily life – things like cooking, getting dressed, or concentrating. It’s also worth keeping a simple diary of how you’re affected each week.
Helplines: Call the PIP helpline (0800 917 2222) or Universal Credit helpline (0800 328 5644) if you’re stuck on a question or need a paper form sent out. The GOV.UK website also has detailed guides with sample answers that can really help when you’re filling out forms.
Returning to Work: If you reach a stage where you feel you might be able to return to work, it’s vital to remember that you’re not expected to cope alone. Look for employers signed up to the Disability Confident scheme as they will have a good understanding of inclusive recruitment and reasonable adjustments. You can also apply for an Access to Work grant to fund specialist equipment or support services.
Live in Scotland? Although LCWRA is a UK-wide benefit, things work slightly differently when it comes to PIP. Scotland has replaced PIP with its own system: Adult Disability Payment. Check out our guide to Adult Disability Payment in Scotland to find out if you’re eligible and how to apply.
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