The Department for Work and Pensions has issued an update on changing Personal Independence Payment eligibility from autumn 2026. The DWP is currently conducting the Timms Review, led by Sir Stephen Timms.
Government committed to trimming welfare bill
The Labour Party government is committed to trimming the welfare bill, with the Timms Review set up to get PIP spending under control. As it stands, 3.9 million people claim the incapacity and disability benefit. But this is forecast to rise, with the welfare bill already ballooning and showing no signs of stopping. As a result, the Timms Review is being conducted to see how eligibility could change.
DWP statement on review timeline
The DWP says: "We are committed to concluding the Review by Autumn 2026. The Review will report to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, so that the government can then make any decisions flowing from it. These could take the form of changes to primary legislation, secondary legislation, as well as a range of potential non-legislative actions."
Parliamentary question on mobility allowances
In the Commons, Independent MP Rachel Maskell recently asked what steps the DWP is taking with the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Labour Party minister Rachel Reeves, to co-produce policy changes to mobility allowances of PIP. In a written response, Minister for Social Security and Disability Sir Stephen Timms said: "The PIP mobility element is in scope of the Timms Review, which aims to ensure PIP is fair and fit for the future. We will co-produce the Review with disabled people, and their organisations to ensure lived experience is at the heart of its work. We will provide an update shortly. We will not make changes to PIP eligibility, including for the mobility element, until the Review has concluded."
Timms emphasises inclusive review process
Timms went on: "PIP affects people's everyday lives, independence, and ability to manage extra costs, so it is essential that this Review is informed by a diversity of experiences, evidence, and perspectives. We are grateful for the time, thought and experience people are contributing, and we will continue to work to ensure this Review is informed by the widest possible range of voices."
