Timms review says PIP is not fit for purpose, calls for reform

People claiming personal independence payment described the process as “dehumanising”, “degrading” and “stressful”, and 90% of respondents viewed it negatively. The system was widely valued but not working as intended for disabled people, with the sharpest problems falling on people with fluctuating conditions, less visible conditions or multiple conditions.

Sir Stephen Timms said PIP was not “fit for purpose”, setting up the first comprehensive review of the benefit since it replaced Disability Living Allowance for adults in 2013. The review was launched on 30 October 2025 and its interim update was published on Thursday 9 July 2026, with a full report due in autumn 2026. PIP supports nearly four million people in England and Wales.

There were 2 million working-age people receiving PIP in 2019, rising by 50% over the next five years. Spending rose from £11 billion in 2019-20 to £22 billion last year and is forecast to exceed £30 billion a year by 2029-30. The assessment criteria are more than a decade old and disability and health trends have changed since the scheme was introduced.

More than 38,000 responses came in to the call for evidence, with nearly 40,000 people and organisations in total. Disabled people, carers, clinicians, experts, MPs and other stakeholders shaped the process. The steering group has 12 members and is co-chaired by Timms, Sharon Brennan and Dr Clenton Farquharson CBE. The call for evidence ran until 28 May 2026 and asked whether PIP delivers its purpose, whether assessment is fair, whether experience varies by group and how society has changed since 2013.

The government plans to remove the Work Capability Assessment, which would make the PIP assessment the single gateway to health-related and disability benefits. PIP can create barriers to work, physical activity and community life. Timms has said the review will not involve “crude proposals”, while the government will stay within Office for Budget Responsibility projections.