Co-chair update on the Timms Review of PIP published

The Department for Work and Pensions and Sir Stephen Timms MP published an update on the progress of the Timms Review of Personal Independence Payment on 12 August 2026¹. The document is described as coming from the Review's co-chairs¹.

The update is attributed to four named co-chairs: Sharon Brennan, Dr Clenton Farquharson CBE, the Minister for Social Security and Disability, and Sir Stephen Timms¹. The published page states that the attached update comes from those four people¹.

The publication is available in several formats alongside the main HTML document: a PDF of 202 KB running to three pages, a large print PDF of 235 KB running to seven pages, an Easy Read PDF of 5.51 MB running to 30 pages, an audio recording, a British Sign Language version, and a Welsh language HTML version¹. The page directs anyone needing the update in an alternative format to contact pip.review@dwp.gov.uk¹.

The published page does not set out the content of the update itself, and no findings, recommendations or interim conclusions from the Review are reported on it¹. The page carries no date for the Review's completion or for any further publication beyond the 12 August 2026 publication date¹.

Why it matters for households

The Review concerns Personal Independence Payment, the benefit paid to people with a long term health condition or disability that affects daily living or mobility. Anyone currently claiming PIP, anyone waiting on an assessment or award decision, and anyone considering a claim has an interest in what the Review concludes, because its recommendations could bear on how the benefit is assessed and administered.

What has been published on 12 August 2026 is a progress update from the co-chairs rather than an outcome¹. No change to PIP entitlement, rates, assessment criteria or award periods is announced in it, and no start or end date for any change is given¹. The practical position for claimants is therefore unchanged by this publication as far as the published page shows.

The update is issued jointly by the Department for Work and Pensions and Sir Stephen Timms, with the Minister for Social Security and Disability named among the co-chairs, which places it within government rather than as an independent external report¹. The availability of Easy Read, large print, audio and BSL versions reflects the audience the Review concerns¹.

What happens next

No next steps are set out on the published page¹. There is no stated date for the Review's conclusions, no timetable for a response from the government, and no indication of when further updates will appear¹. The only route given for contacting the Review is the email address pip.review@dwp.gov.uk, which the page also gives for requests for the update in alternative formats¹. Further detail on benefits and how PIP is claimed and assessed is covered elsewhere on this site.