In this example, we’re going to find out how many PIP daily living allowance awards are in payment to claimants in the Westminster constituency of Exeter. You can use the instructions to find the numbers for your own constituency.
We can discover the number of standard and enhanced awards and, because we know the percentage of each of these that on average don’t score a minimum of 4 points for any activity, we can give a very clear indication of how many are at risk.
This is more information than most MPs will currently have about their constituency, so a useful thing to share with them as they try to work out how many votes supporting the Green Paper may cost them at the next election.
The instructions look complex, but it really is just a question of clicking on the right things in the right order and you’ll get there.
Step-by-step instructions
You can watch a video of these steps here
Go to StatXplore home page.
Scroll down the list of datasets in the left-hand pane.
Find the “Personal Independence Payment” category
Double click on “PIP cases with entitlement from 2019”
Click on “Geography (residence-based” – SELECT POLICY OWNERSHIP”
Click on “Westminster Parliamentary Constituency 2024”
Click on text (not box) “DWP policy ownership”
Click on text “England and Wales”
Click on text “England”
Click on text for your region, e.g. “South West”
Tick box for your constituency e.g. “Exeter”
Click on blue “Row” button near top left
Scroll back down left hand pane
Click on text “Daily Living Award Status”
Tick boxes “Daily Living – enhanced” and “Daily Living- Standard”
Click on blue “Column” button
Click on “Retrieve Data” button at the top of the right-hand pane
You will now see the Total number of current awards for each component, as at January 2025, the most recent date figures were available for when this example was created.
The final figures
In this example, for Exeter in January 2025 (it may be a later date and slightly different figures by the time you try), the totals are:
Daily Living – enhanced: 3,281
Daily Living- Standard: 2,173
Total: 5,453
This figure includes PIP claimants of all ages, including pension age claimants who the DWP argue will not be affected by the changes. But there is some doubt about this claim by the DWP. So, for now we think it is legitimate to include them in the figures.
More information from the same figures
From these figures you can extract more information, because according to DWP statistics, an average of 13% of enhanced rate awards and 87% of standard rate awards do not include a minimum of 4 points for one activity.
To get these percentages, divide the original number by 100 and then multiply by 20 or 80 as appropriate:
Daily Living – enhanced: 3,281 divided by 100 = 32.81. Multiplied by 13 = 427
Daily Living- Standard: 2,173 divided by 100 = 21.73. Multiplied by 87 = 1,891
So you could tell your MP something along the lines of the letter below.
Letter to your MP
This is a sample letter of the type you could send to your MP.
Dear Steve Race,
I am one of your constituents. I live at [address]
I am writing to draw your attention to the fact that, according to the DWP’s StatXplore tool, in January of this year there were 5,453 people in receipt of the daily living component of PIP in your Exeter constituency.
3,281 of your constituents get the enhanced rate and, according to the DWP, on average 13% (427) of them will not have scored a minimum of 4 points for any activity.
2,173 of your constituents get the standard rate and, according to the DWP, on average 87% (1,891) of them will not have scored a minimum of 4 points for any activity.
That means 2,318 of your constituents will not be eligible for PIP daily living under the proposed new rules. If they lose their PIP they may lose other benefits and premiums as a result and, if they have a carer, they will lose their carer’s allowance.
But the reality is that almost every one of your constituents who gets PIP daily living will already be very fearful for their future regardless of the points they currently score.
Because they know that just because they were awarded a minimum of 4 points for one or more activities at their last assessment, there is no guarantee that they will get the same score at the next one.
And even if they get through the next assessment, there is always another one waiting down the line.
In addition, Labour have said they are introducing a new PIP test in 2028, when they abolish the work capability assessment. This means even more change and uncertainty.
PIP claimants under threat are mainly older claimants with physical health conditions, most of whom are likely to have worked all their lives until they became ill. Many will have a partner and many will also have adult, voting age children.
It seems quite possible that many PIP claimants, along with their immediate family, will be very reluctant to vote for an MP who has plunged them into such uncertainty and possibly into debt, deteriorating health and in some cases even homelessness.
We would strongly urge you to vote against the forthcoming bill, which will allow the changes to PIP to be introduced and which is already causing so much distress to so many of your constituents.
Your sincerely,
[Your Name]