The Timms review into Personal Independence Payments (PIP) is expected to recommend that people with anxiety and ADHD find it more difficult to access the benefit, according to reports. The review's initial findings are due to be published imminently, with a full report expected in the autumn.
Review findings to land on Burnham's desk
The review, led by former Labour minister Stephen Timms, will present its conclusions to Prime Minister Andy Burnham and his new Government, who will then decide how to proceed with welfare reform. The review was launched after Keir Starmer was forced to retreat on planned cuts to disability benefits following a backlash from his own backbenchers.
PIP is currently paid to around four million people in the UK. Ministers argue that reform is necessary due to the rapid increase in claimants in recent years.
McFadden: System not designed for current conditions
Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden told the I Paper: "These numbers tripled… between 2020 [and] 2024 and they’ve continued to rise." He suggested the system was not originally designed to support so many claimants for conditions like anxiety and ADHD.
McFadden added: "I spoke to the Timms review panel… a few months ago and I said one of the things to consider from a system that was designed 13 years ago is whether the assessment process is really fit for the range of conditions and the rise in the reports of some conditions… and also to be ambitious about if they conclude that it hasn’t taken into account those things enough about what the future might look like now."
Mental health charities warn against cuts
Mental health charities have cautioned the Government about the impact of deep cuts. Rethink Mental Illness said: "(We are) calling for urgent reform to ensure the system works for people living with mental illness." The charity’s report warns against tightening eligibility, introducing voucher-based schemes, or tying financial support to work, which could make PIP less flexible and even harder to access.
