DWP launches Timms Review into PIP

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) launched the Timms Review in March 2026, examining the purpose of Personal Independence Payment (PIP), eligibility and fairness in awards, the experience of claiming, and how wider changes are affecting the benefit¹. The call for evidence closes on 28 May 2026 and is seeking input from people with direct experience of the PIP system, including disabled people, carers and sector professionals¹. Responses can be submitted anonymously and will be analysed by the DWP, with results due to be published in autumn 2026¹. The review is expected to report back in the autumn².

The review follows a planned tightening of the daily living part of the PIP assessment, announced in spring 2025, under which claimants would need to score at least four points in one daily living activity to qualify². Those changes were originally due to come into force in November 2026, but the government has instead launched a wider review of the benefit².

Separately, the DWP is increasing the number of Work Capability Assessments and the use of face-to-face appointments from April 2026¹. To accommodate this, the time between PIP reviews will be extended for most claimants aged 25 and over, with new claims usually reviewed at least every three years, potentially rising to five years after a later review².

Waiting times for a new PIP claim decision have been increasing since August 2025, when the average wait was 14 weeks; they now stand at 20 weeks, the highest level in almost four years¹. The DWP aims to decide new claims within 15 weeks and to process 75% of new claims within that timeframe, but a 2026 Public Accounts Committee report found only 51% of new claims were completed within the DWP's 75-working-day target in 2024-25¹. Over 710,000 people were still waiting for a decision as of January 2026¹. The DWP is piloting an online application process that has reportedly cut wait times by 20 days, but the timeline for rolling this out to 20% of claimants has moved from 2026 to 2029¹.

For 2026-27, PIP weekly rates are £76.70 on the standard rate and £114.60 on the enhanced rate for the daily living component, and £30.30 on the standard rate and £80.00 on the enhanced rate for the mobility component². A claimant must score at least eight points in either test to be eligible².

Source: Which?²

In Scotland, Adult Disability Payment replaced PIP in 2025 and is operated by Social Security Scotland, with 2026-27 rates the same as PIP². PIP was introduced in 2013 to replace Disability Living Allowance².

Why it matters for households

There were 3.9 million people receiving PIP in England and Wales as of January 2026, up from 2.6 million in 2021¹. New awards have fallen from a peak of around 42,000 per month between late 2023 and 2024 to around 27,000 per month in the months leading to January 2026, a 37% decrease, according to Institute for Fiscal Studies analysis cited by Which?¹. Success rates for applicants fell from 54% during the peak to 46% now¹.

Successful PIP claims are backdated to the date of application or the end of the three-month qualifying period, whichever is later¹. Those waiting on a claim do not have access to financial support such as an advance payment, because PIP is not means-tested and is based on disability needs¹. Claimants can contact the PIP enquiry line on 0800 121 4433 to confirm claim status, although the DWP generally discourages this as staff cannot guarantee a decision date¹. Severe delays can be considered maladministration, and complaints can be submitted to the DWP, then to the Independent Case Examiner, and then referred by an MP to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman¹.

PIP is tax-free and usually paid every four weeks into a bank account, and recipients also receive a £10 Christmas bonus payment². If a claimant moves into a care home and the local authority pays some or all of the fees, the daily living component stops after 28 days². Claimants already receiving PIP when they reach state pension age can continue receiving it as long as there is no change in their condition, but new claims cannot be made after state pension age².

What happens next

The Timms Review call for evidence closes on 28 May 2026, with results due to be published in autumn 2026¹. The increase in face-to-face assessments and Work Capability Assessments takes effect from April 2026². The rollout of the online application process to 20% of claimants has moved from 2026 to 2029¹.