Stephen Timms’s disability review is expected this week to say the PIP assessment system in England and Wales is not fit for purpose and must be redrawn. The interim findings are expected to argue that the current process is failing disabled people with fluctuating and less visible conditions.
The review is expected to describe disability benefits in England and Wales as not fit for purpose, call the present points-based approach effectively worthless, and say the assessment process is dehumanising. It is also expected to say the system hinders people from seeking work.
Timms review and PIP points
PIP is a benefit for adults with a long-term physical or mental health condition to help meet the additional costs of disability. The current system awards points for the severity of a condition across mobility and daily living, including activities such as washing and dressing.
The review is expected to say that framework has not kept pace with fluctuating and less visible conditions. Campaigners have argued that points for navigating a route or planning a budget may now cover some mental health conditions, while the review is also expected to point to physical conditions such as cystic fibrosis and arthritis.
Stephen Timms and the Commons
Timms, the disability minister, commissioned and led the review after Keir Starmer’s government faced defeat in the Commons over tighter eligibility rules for the disability benefit. The review is part of a wider government climbdown over cuts to PIP.
The review has two co-chairs and a 12-member steering group, and the steering group comprises people with disability or long-term health conditions. It is not being asked to find cuts, but its steering committee is also barred from proposing changes that would increase the overall projected welfare spend.
What comes this autumn
Stephen Timms has said, “Our message is simple: Pip is not working.” He also said, “It is not working for the people that go through the process, nor for a government committed to supporting disabled people.”
He added, “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.” He said, “Doing so will require us to be radical in our thinking and bold in our recommendations for reform.” Recommendations on how the new system should be designed are expected this autumn.
