The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is urging all 3.9 million Personal Independence Payment (PIP) claimants to come forward and share their experiences of the benefit as part of the Labour government's Timms Review. The review, co-chaired by Sir Stephen Timms, aims to trim the welfare bill and is seeking input from disabled people, carers, and organisations that support them.
Call for Evidence
Sir Stephen Timms took to X (formerly Twitter) to encourage PIP claimants to engage. He stated: "We want to hear from people who know this system firsthand: disabled people, carers, people working with organisations that represent or support disabled people, if you've claimed PIP, supported someone else to, or worked closely with PIP, we'd really like your insight."
Sharon Brennan, another co-chair, added: "So please respond to the call for evidence by the 28th of May and share it with others. So that as many people's views and experiences as possible can help shape the future."
Lived Experience at the Heart
Timms emphasised that the views of disabled people and carers are particularly sought after because "we want to put lived experience at the heart of the review." He added: "We want to hear from anyone who has something to say about PIP."
As it stands, there are 3.9 million PIP claimants. The review is establishing a steering group to lead the co-production of the Review. The Expression of Interest (EOI) process was fully open, transparent, and accessible, with materials provided in large print, Easy Read, audio, BSL, and Welsh language versions from the outset.
The EOI closed at the end of November, receiving more than 340 applications. The review committee expressed gratitude to all applicants and those who shared the opportunity across their networks.
Criticism and Urgency
Back in March, when the Timms review issued its call for evidence, Benefits and Work criticised the process, saying: "The review committee say they will be engaging with people in many other ways in the coming months. So, it may be that a proper consultation on specific proposals is still on the cards. But it seems very unlikely." Despite this, they still urge readers to contribute to the call for evidence, which closes on 28 May.
The DWP states: "Please respond to this call for evidence using the online form. You can submit your response anonymously. If your response includes attachments, or exceeds the character limit of the online form, please email your response to us on timmsreview.callforevidence@dwp.gov.uk."
