A powerful parliamentary watchdog has branded service levels at the Department for Work and Pensions as 'unacceptably poor', with people claiming disability benefits facing agonising waits of over a year for decisions.
Parliamentary Committee Exposes Systemic Failures
The scathing report from the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), published on Friday, January 9, warns that prolonged delays in processing Personal Independence Payment (PIP) claims are directly forcing some individuals into debt and poverty. The cross-party group of MPs found the DWP has consistently failed to meet its own performance targets.
Shockingly, figures for 2024/25 show that just 51% of new PIP claims were processed within the department's 75-working-day target. This falls drastically short of its stated goal of achieving this for 75% of claims.
Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, chairman of the PAC, stated the findings suggest claimants "may now expect a reliably poor service" from the department. He criticised the lack of progress, noting: "Our committee received reassurances three years ago that improvements would have manifested by now; we are now told that they are a further three years off."
Digital Delays and Wider Service Concerns
While the DWP informed the committee that a pilot online application system had cut processing times by around 20 days, MPs heavily criticised the slow rollout. A previous commitment to process 20% of PIP claims online by 2026 has been pushed back to 2029.
The committee said this was "far too long for claimants to have to wait to get a better service" and demanded the DWP publish more detailed data, including the longest waits recorded.
The report also highlighted wider anxieties about the DWP's performance. MPs warned that reducing the initial Universal Credit meeting with a work coach from 50 minutes to 30 minutes could harm claimants unless carefully monitored. They further called for greater transparency on jobcentre performance and expressed concern that plans to modernise outdated IT systems may not be delivered on schedule.
Government Response and Ongoing Review
The report referenced a significant U-turn in summer 2025, when proposed changes to PIP eligibility were withdrawn from government welfare legislation following cross-party pressure. An independent review of PIP, led by Sir Stephen Timms, is ongoing and is expected to report by autumn.
In response to the PAC's findings, a DWP spokesperson said the average time for a PIP claim decision by the end of October was 16 weeks. The department stated it is "fixing the broken welfare system" through employment reforms and a £647m modernisation programme to replace outdated technology.
The committee's report concluded with a stark warning: "We are concerned that the department may not be able to deliver on schedule and that unacceptably poor service levels could continue for some time." For the thousands relying on this vital support, the promised transformation cannot come soon enough.
