The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has initiated a large-scale review affecting millions of claims for Personal Independence Payment (PIP). This significant move aims to scrutinise both new and existing claims as the government seeks to manage the growing welfare bill.
The Timms Review: A New Direction for PIP
Led by the Labour government, this comprehensive evaluation is officially known as the Timms Review, named after Sir Stephen Timms, the Minister for Social Security and Disability. Announced on 14 November 2025, the review's core mission is to help disabled individuals achieve better health, higher living standards, and greater independence, including through employment.
The government has pledged that the review will be co-produced with disabled people, their representative organisations, carers, clinicians, experts, and Members of Parliament. This ensures that lived experience is at the heart of the process. The review will be co-chaired by Sir Stephen Timms, Sharron Brennan, and Dr Clenton Farquharson CBE, who will oversee a steering group to jointly lead the work.
The Five Key Areas Under Scrutiny
The DWP's Timms Review will concentrate its analysis on five critical aspects of the PIP system to determine necessary reforms.
Access
The review will investigate how the PIP assessment process can provide fair access to the correct support at the appropriate level across the entire benefits system.
Assessment
A central focus will be the assessment criteria itself. This includes the activities, descriptors, and points system. The review will consider whether these elements effectively capture the real-world impact of long-term health conditions and disabilities in the modern era.
Wider Support
Beyond the benefit payment, the review will examine what role the PIP assessment should play in unlocking access to a broader ecosystem of support. The goal is to better enable higher living standards and greater independence for claimants.
Role of PIP
As the future single gateway to health-related and disability benefits, the review will analyse PIP's overall role. It will assess how well it enables disabled people and those with long-term conditions to live independently and participate fully in society.
Further Evidence
Finally, the review will explore whether additional evidence should be considered alongside the standard functional assessment. This could include factors related to an individual’s personal circumstances and environment to more fairly reflect the impact of living with a disability.
Implications for Millions of Claimants
This wide-ranging review signals a potential major shift in the UK's disability benefits landscape. With millions of PIP claims under examination, the outcomes of the Timms Review could lead to significant changes in how support is accessed and delivered. The government's stated commitment to co-production suggests a move towards a system more responsive to the actual needs of disabled people, aiming to ensure PIP remains a fair and effective benefit for the future.
