The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has confirmed that one-off payments made to Personal Independence Payment (PIP) claimants for participating in new steering groups and workshops are subject to tax and National Insurance contributions. The groups, announced on Wednesday, will test recommendations from the Timms Review with selected claimants.
Payments and Tax Obligations
The DWP stated that any payments received from participation in these groups will be subject to tax and National Insurance. The workshops, which will begin in September, will see the Timms Review recommendations tested by claimants. The DWP will issue one-off payments to reimburse participants for their time and involvement.
The update marks the latest stage of the review, which was established to consider how PIP should work in the future and is being conducted through a co-production process involving disabled people. The interim report, published last month, concluded from the wide range of evidence received that “while PIP remains a vital source of financial support, the current system is not consistently delivering its purpose.”
Workshop Participation and Impact
Co-Chair of the Review and member of the shaping recommendations workshops working group, Dr Clenton Farquharson CBE, said: "Disabled people and people with long term health conditions know better than anyone how PIP works in real life where it helps, where it creates barriers, and where it needs to change. That experience has to be part of shaping what comes next."
He added: "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."
"Most importantly, I am committed to showing how what people tell us influences the recommendations we ultimately make." Feedback from participants in these workshops will be considered by the Review as it finalises its recommendations.
