PIP review launches consultation
The steering group leading the review of Personal Independence Payment (PIP) has published a call for evidence.
They want to hear from disabled people to understand how PIP could be improved.
The call for evidence will be open for 10 weeks, until Thursday 28 May.
Find out how to share your PIP experiences
What is the PIP, or Timms, review?
A proposal to review PIP was part of the UK Government’s plans last year. But at the same time, the government also published proposals to cut disability benefits, including PIP.
Thanks to campaigning by hundreds of thousands of disabled people, including people with MS, we protected PIP. The government removed proposals to change PIP and instead promised to deliver the review before making any changes.
Who is on the Timms Review steering group?
Sir Stephen Timms MP is the Minister for Social Security and Disability. Together with two other co-chairs, Timms co-leads a steering group made up of disability experts and disabled people with experience of claiming PIP.
The steering group will make recommendations on how they think PIP should be improved. The recommendations will be informed by what people share during the review.
The Timms Review will share its recommendations with the government by the end of 2026. The Secretary of State and the UK Government will then decide what changes should be made to PIP, including any policies or law changes.
Open call to share your experience and knowledge of PIP
The steering group has published a call for evidence where they want to hear people’s views and experiences of how PIP is currently working. They'd also like to hear ideas about how the process could be improved.
Charles Gillies, policy co-chair of the Disability Benefits Consortium and our Senior Policy Officer, says:
“For too long, PIP has been failing disabled people. For example, assessments often don't consider the fluctuating and invisible symptoms of conditions like MS.
"The Timms Review is an opportunity to finally address these issues, so we’re glad the call for evidence aims to hear from disabled people across the country. We encourage everyone with experience of PIP to share their views. The steering group must also provide accessible ways to make sure even more people can take part, including in-person and online events.
"It’s vital the team leading the review hear directly from people with MS, their families and friends."
Who can share their experiences and view of PIP?
The call for evidence is open to anyone. The steering group want to hear from people from all different backgrounds and experiences. We encourage anyone with MS, as well as people who are carers or have family and friends with MS to respond.
Dr Clenton Farquharson CBE, co-chair of the review said: “This call for evidence is an important opportunity to listen directly to disabled people, carers, organisations, and others with experience of the system. We want to hear honestly what is working, what is not, and what a fairer and more human system should look like.”
The steering group is looking for people to share their views to the review. This includes:
- the role and purpose of PIP
- eligibility, fairness and equity in the award of PIP
- experiences of claiming PIP.
How can I respond?
The steering group has suggested four themes as a guide. If you're wondering where to start, we've put together some prompts to help your thinking.
Read our tips for responding to the four themes
Here's how you can respond to the review:
- Submit a written response using the online form
- Email your response to [email protected]
-
Post your response to:
The Timms Review
Disability and Health Strategy Directorate
Department for Work and Pensions
Floor Two,
Caxton House
London,
SW1H 9NA.
You can also find alternative formats for the online form. These include web British Sign Language (BSL), Easy Read, audio, braille, large print and Welsh translation. To request a braille version or physical copies of other published accessible versions of this Call for Evidence, email the team on [email protected].
To find out about alternative ways to submit, email [email protected]
The call for evidence is open for 10 weeks, until Thursday 28 May.
What’s happening in Scotland?
If you live in Scotland, you can still respond to the call for evidence. However, it’s important to remember Adult Disability Payment (ADP) has replaced PIP there.
With the Scottish Parliament elections in May, we’re calling on the next Scottish Government to commit to building a fairer and healthier future for people with MS. This includes improvements to ADP, including calling for meaningful change to the eligibility criteria.
Other ways to get involved
We’re shaping our campaign plans together with our Disability Benefits Panel, to make sure people with MS are heard during the review.
If you’re not already signed up, you can join our campaigns community to get the latest updates on our campaigning on PIP straight into your inbox.
For someone to talk to right now, or any advice on benefits, our MS Help team are here for you. You can call us on 0808 800 8000 or send us an email at [email protected].
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MS benefits advice service
Do you have a question about benefits? We can help. Our MS benefits advice service offers free, confidential advice to people affected by MS, supporting people in England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland.
You can get in touch with our MS benefits advisor by phone on 0808 800 8000 or email [email protected] or by clicking the webchat icon wherever you see it on our website to start a conversation. We’ll arrange for a time for our advisor to contact you.
