The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has confirmed it will examine the backgrounds of Personal Independence Payment (PIP) claimants ahead of changes rolling out from September. The move is part of the Timms Review, chaired by Labour Party minister Sir Stephen Timms, which aims to improve the PIP system.
The DWP is calling PIP claimants forward to help test the recommendations Timms will put forward in his final review. His interim report has already found that PIP is not fit for the modern age, with concerns over the ballooning welfare bill prompting the Labour government to commission the analysis.
Workshops to Test Proposed Changes
In September, the DWP will hold workshops aimed at testing the changes proposed by Timms and his two co-chairs. Voluntary sign-ups are open now, but the DWP has confirmed it will ask for "personal information" when claimants fill in the ‘about you’ form to register interest in these workshops.
The DWP stated: "In addition to your name and contact details, we will also collect some information about your background and personal characteristics. This is to ensure we are hearing from a diverse range of people and that our selection process is fair and inclusive."
Data Protection and Fair Selection
Any information collected as part of this process will be subject to the DWP’s policy on data protection. The DWP added: "To learn about your information rights and how DWP uses information, see the DWP’s personal information charter."
The form states: "This form is for you to express your interest in joining a workshop and to help ensure that the Review hears from people with a range of lived experience, expertise and diverse characteristics. The Review would like to hear from people who are based in the region where the workshop is held, and each participant will be limited to joining one workshop."
Selection Process and Next Steps
Where 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. The information shared will help the DWP in this process, but claimants can choose not to answer some questions by selecting ‘prefer not to say’.
The workshops will test the recommendations from the Timms Review, which is expected to propose significant changes to PIP. The DWP’s collection of background data aims to ensure the workshops reflect a diverse range of claimants, with the selection process designed to be fair and inclusive.
