The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has released a new update on the Timms Review, urging Personal Independence Payment (PIP) claimants to take part in a reforms workshop. The review, led by Labour Party cabinet member Sir Stephen Timms, will evaluate whether PIP is fit for purpose.
Workshop Materials Released
The DWP has shared materials for the workshops online, stating: "The Workshop in a box is a way to help people and organisations gather and share views from real people on the impact of PIP on their lives." Feedback from these workshops will be an essential part of the Timms Review. The steering group will discuss insights from workshops at a future meeting to help form recommendations submitted to the Secretary of State.
Four documents support PIP claimants in a workshop:
- Workshop in a box slide deck – a slide deck with a suggested template for a 2-hour workshop, including questions and prompts
- Facilitator guidance – information for those running workshops, including guidance on how to change materials
- Participant information sheet – background information on the Timms Review to share with attendees
- ‘About you’ form – a form for participants to complete to help capture information about the reach of the Workshop in a box offer
Additional guidance for facilitators on prompts and accessible versions of the ‘about you’ form will be available shortly.
Review Co-Chairs and Process
The Timms Review is co-chaired by Sir Stephen Timms, Minister for Social Security and Disability, Sharron Brennan, and Dr Clenton Farquharson CBE. The co-chairs oversee a steering group that jointly leads the review. The steering group oversees a multi-layered programme of participation and engagement, drawing on a broad range of evidence and sources to develop recommendations.
The DWP stated: "The Workshop in a box is being administered by the Department for Work and Pensions on behalf of the Timms Review steering group."
Potential Overhaul of PIP Assessments
The review comes amid reports that assessments are set for a radical overhaul. In an interview with The i Paper, Timms said: "We’re looking at how the assessment works, and I think there’s a strong case for a different kind of assessment to the one that’s there at the moment. But that’s a matter for the steering group to take a view on, and we will set out our conclusions in the report in November."
Timms added: "There may well be changes that can be made to enable PIP to do a better job to support people into employment or to stay in employment if they run into a health problem in the course of their working lives. That will certainly be one of the points we’ll be considering when we publish our recommendations, which are due in November of this year."
The review is set to publish its interim report in the coming days, with final recommendations expected in the autumn.
