Labour MP Neil Duncan-Jordan has pressed the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) on the sharp rise in Personal Independence Payment (PIP) claims since 2020. In a Commons session, the MP for Poole asked what analysis had been undertaken to explain the increase in claimants between 2020 and 2024.
Timms Review Provides Key Analysis
Sir Stephen Timms, the Labour cabinet member leading the Timms Review into PIP, responded that the latest DWP analysis was published in Annex B of the review's interim report. This document, titled 'DWP evidence pack', includes sections on trends in working-age disability benefits and factors influencing increased claims and expenditure.
According to the official evidence pack, the rise in PIP claims is driven by both higher award rates and a reduced likelihood of claimants leaving the benefit. The report states: "This increase is both due to more people being awarded and a reducing likelihood of people leaving."
Pandemic and Policy Changes
The analysis attributes the higher awards primarily to increased claims, with a small rise in award likelihood for new claims since the pandemic. A larger increase was observed for claimants who previously received Disability Living Allowance (DLA) as a child. The report notes that while the change in award rates coincides broadly with the pandemic, it may also be influenced by decision-making approaches introduced a few months before the pandemic began.
PIP Effectiveness Questioned
The interim Timms Review report reveals that while PIP is widely valued as a cash benefit, it is not working as intended for disabled people or wider society. Many disabled people say PIP is vital for meeting extra costs of disability and participating in everyday life. However, others report that PIP creates barriers to full participation in work, social, and community life—particularly for those with fluctuating, less visible, or multiple conditions.
Future Reforms Expected
The DWP stated: "The Review launched last October with the aim of making sure PIP is fair and fit for the future in a changing world and helps support disabled people to achieve better health, higher living standards and greater independence including through employment." The review will also consider related work across the health and social care system, including the Milburn Review into rising numbers of young people not in education, employment, or training (NEET). Both reviews are due to conclude later this year, providing a foundation for effective and sustainable reform.
