The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has announced 15 workshops across the UK where Personal Independence Payment (PIP) claimants can test “emerging recommendations” from the Timms Review. The workshops, which will be held both online and in-person, are designed to shape the future of the benefit and make the system “fairer” for claimants and taxpayers.
Workshops to test PIP reform ideas
On Wednesday, the DWP confirmed that PIP claimants are being invited to apply to take part in the workshops, which will help refine the review’s proposals. The sessions are aimed primarily at disabled people and people with long-term health conditions. The review will also contact disabled people’s organisations, charities, and MPs to “test and refine its emerging recommendations”.
Dr Clenton Farquharson, Co-Chair of the review, encouraged eligible individuals to participate: “I would encourage anyone with experience of applying for or receiving PIP to register their interest in taking part. The purpose of these workshops is not simply to hear people’s experiences, but to test the Review’s emerging recommendations against real lives and understand what could make them fairer, clearer and work better in practice.”
How to register and selection process
Registration for the workshops opens on Wednesday 12 August 2026 at 10am and closes on Friday 21 August 2026 at 5pm. The registration page is not yet live but will be available later today. Claimants are urged to sign up to get involved in the rollout of the changes.
According to the DWP, selection of applicants will be done randomly. However, the steering group will review the chosen participants to ensure they represent a balanced range of characteristics. If a particular characteristic is under-represented, applicants with that characteristic will be identified from the wider applicant pool and selected at random to fill any gaps.
Context of the Timms Review
The Timms Review, led by Labour Party co-chair Sir Stephen Timms, comes amid growing concern over the rising welfare bill. The review aims to propose changes that could make the PIP system more sustainable and responsive to the needs of claimants.
The workshops will provide a platform for claimants to directly influence the recommendations, which are expected to be published later this year. The DWP has not yet announced the specific dates or locations for the workshops, but they will be held across the UK in the coming months.
