The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has revealed that only 15,000 people responded to the Timms Review's call for evidence on Personal Independence Payment (PIP), meaning 3.8 million claimants did not participate. The review, led by Sir Stephen Timms, is examining potential cuts and rule changes to the benefit as the welfare bill rises.
Call for Evidence Results
In the June 2026 co-chair update published on 8 June, the DWP stated: 'In the 10 weeks during which the Call for Evidence was open, we received over 15,000 responses.' The consultation ran from 19 March to 28 May and posed four key questions:
- How effectively is PIP delivering on its intended role and purpose?
- Does the PIP assessment, including the criteria, effectively capture the impact of long-term health conditions and disability in the modern world, and provide fair access to the right support at the right level across the benefits system?
- What is the experience of people claiming PIP and does this vary for different groups?
- What has changed in wider society and the workplace since 2013 (and might be expected to change in the future) and how has this impacted PIP, and does PIP need to change accordingly?
Next Steps
Sir Stephen Timms commented: 'We continue at pace with our work across the Review's six strands of evidence-gathering and engagement, allowing disabled people and DDPOs the ability to provide contributions that can genuinely influence the future of PIP.' He added that an interim report will be published in the coming months, providing a fuller update on the steering group's work. Timms urged more people to get involved by hosting workshops, stating: 'This Review will only succeed if disabled people across the UK help to shape it.'
