The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has announced measures to expedite claims for Disability Living Allowance (DLA) and Personal Independence Payment (PIP), as the Labour government aims to address a significant backlog. This commitment comes in response to a parliamentary question from Damien Egan, Labour MP for Bristol North East, who inquired about the outstanding backlog and steps being taken to speed up processing times.
Ministerial Response
Sir Stephen Timms, a Labour cabinet minister, responded on behalf of the DWP. He stated: "We are committed to ensuring people can access financial support through Disability Living Allowance for children (DLAc) and Personal Independence Payment (PIP) in a timely manner. Reducing customer journey times for our claimants is a priority for the Department and we are working constantly to make improvements to our service."
Recruitment and Deployment
Between October 2024 and March 2025, the DWP recruited and redeployed over 100 case managers specifically to improve clearance times for new DLAc claims. This initiative has yielded significant results. From 1 August 2025 to 31 March 2026, the Department cleared approximately 185,900 new DLAc claims, with 68.3% (126,900) resolved within 45 working days. During this period, the percentage of claims cleared within these planned timescales skyrocketed from 4.7% to 90.7%.
PIP Processing Improvements
The DWP also highlighted progress on PIP claims. Average end-to-end processing times have decreased from 26 weeks in August 2021 to 20 weeks by the end of January 2026. In addition to prioritizing new claims, the Department has collaborated closely with assessment suppliers to increase assessment capacity and reduce waiting times. Efforts include recruiting and training additional health professionals and implementing a series of process improvements to streamline the assessment journey.
These changes reflect the government's ongoing commitment to ensuring that individuals with disabilities receive the financial support they need without unnecessary delays.
