The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has responded to growing calls for changes to Personal Independence Payment (PIP) rules to make it easier for people with Type 1 diabetes to qualify for support.
The response comes after a petition attracted more than 15,000 signatures, with campaigners arguing that the current system does not properly recognise the daily challenges faced by people living with the condition.
The petition calls on the Government to amend PIP assessment standards to clearly include Type 1 diabetics, arguing that managing the condition is a "relentless, 24-hour responsibility" involving constant blood glucose monitoring, insulin adjustments and careful planning around food, exercise and stress.
Campaigners said in the petition - which can still be signed - that the demands of managing Type 1 diabetes alongside work and family life can lead to "significant physical exhaustion and mental burnout".
However, the DWP has said PIP is not awarded based on a specific diagnosis and instead focuses on how a person's condition affects their ability to carry out everyday activities.
In its official response, the department said: "PIP is not condition-based. Individuals are assessed by disability experts who focus on functional needs."
The DWP explained that assessments look at how a health condition impacts a person's ability to complete key daily tasks, including preparing food, dressing, managing finances, engaging with other people and monitoring their health condition.
It said people can be affected by the same condition in different ways, which is why eligibility is based on the level of support someone needs rather than their diagnosis.
The department also stressed that healthcare professionals carrying out PIP assessments receive specialist training and have access to guidance covering a wide range of medical conditions, including Type 1 diabetes.
Despite rejecting calls for an automatic change to eligibility rules, the Government acknowledged concerns about whether the current system remains fit for purpose.
The DWP pointed to the ongoing Timms Review, which is examining the future of PIP and whether the assessment process fairly reflects the impact of long-term health conditions.
The review is the first full review of PIP since the benefit was introduced and is being carried out with input from disabled people, charities and disability organisations.
The DWP Secretary Pat McFadden, updated the Work and Pensions Committee on the progress of the review earlier this month, saying: "I expect an interim report from the Timms review before this summer recess."
He added: "If there is legislative change needed, it will come after that." The decision to launch the PIP review followed the Government's earlier proposals to tighten eligibility rules for the benefit, specifically for the daily living component of the benefit.
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According to the DWP, the review's steering group is considering whether the current assessment "effectively captures the impact of long-term health conditions in the modern world".
An interim update is expected this summer, with a full report due to be delivered to ministers in the autumn.
The petition remains open until December 2, 2026, and would need 100,000 signatures to be considered for a debate in Parliament.
