The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) Timms Review has submitted an interim report recommending major changes to Personal Independence Payment (PIP) assessments, finding the current system is not fit for purpose in England and Wales.
Assessment System Deemed 'Worthless'
According to reports from the Guardian, Labour cabinet member Sir Stephen Timms is set to conclude that the points-based assessment system has become 'worthless' due to the rising number of claimants. The review also finds the process dehumanising for disabled people and actively hinders them from seeking work.
Radical Reform Recommended
The interim review recommends root-and-branch reform under the new Prime Minister, likely to be Andy Burnham following Sir Keir Starmer's resignation. A harsher points-based system will likely be ruled out. The report states: 'Our message is simple: Pip is not working. It is not working for the people that go through the process, nor for a government committed to supporting disabled people.'
'We are committed to making changes so that Pip can fulfil its purpose for disabled people and those with long-term conditions, both now and into the future. Doing so will require us to be radical in our thinking and bold in our recommendations for reform,' the report adds.
Public Confidence and Future Support
The review emphasises that public confidence in the system is essential. It says the public wants to see how PIP enables disabled people to 'participate, contribute and live well'. The report notes: 'Public confidence in how the system operates is essential to Pip today and in the future – it is important that the public can see how investment in Pip enables people to participate, contribute and live well.'
'We need to examine how Pip can respond to the rising number of people seeking support and whether it adequately reflects the diverse reality and needs of disabled people today,' it concludes.
