Call for public views to improve disability benefit for millions

Disabled people and those with long-term health conditions will be able to share their views on how PIP should be reformed, as the Timms Review opens a Call for Evidence today.

The Review is examining whether PIP - which supports nearly four million people in England and Wales with the extra costs of disability - better reflects how people’s conditions impact them in the modern world.

The Call for Evidence - which runs until 28 May - is the first step in a wider, accessible programme of engagement, shaped by the Review’s steering group. This will ensure as many disabled people as possible contribute to it, including young people.

It is built around the four themes the steering group have identified, with evidence sought on topics including, but not limited to:

• How effectively PIP is delivering on its intended purpose
• Whether the PIP assessment provides fair access to the right support
• Whether the experience of claiming PIP varies for different groups
• How the changes in the workplace and wider society since 2013 have impacted PIP

Anyone can respond and those with lived or learned experience of PIP, including disabled people, the organisations that represent them, carers, clinicians, experts, MPs, and other elected officials across the UK, are particularly encouraged to do so.

Sir Stephen Timms, Minister for Social Security and Disability and co-chair of the Review, said:

As we progress with our Review of PIP, it is vital that as many people as possible have the chance to contribute.

I encourage anyone with experience of the PIP system, including young people, or with relevant expertise, to submit their views.

This is just the first step in our wider programme of engagement. I look forward to announcing more ways to get involved as our work continues.

The steering group comprises 15 people who bring together lived experience and a diversity of perspectives across areas including welfare policy, accessibility, advocacy, co-production, governance, and leadership within Disabled People’s Organisations (DPOs).

Dr Clenton Farquharson CBE, co-chair of the Review said:

It is vital that disabled people’s voices are at the heart of this Review. PIP has a profound impact on people’s daily lives, independence, and sense of dignity, so any conversation about its future must begin with those who live with its realities every day.

This Call for Evidence is an important opportunity to listen directly to disabled people, carers, organisations, and others with experience of the system. We want to hear honestly what is working, what is not, and what a fairer and more human system should look like.

Sharon Brennan, co-chair of the Review said:

It is essential for the success of this review that we hear frank and honest views from as many disabled people, carers, advocates and others as wish to participate.

That’s why this Call for Evidence is just the start of our engagement plans, which will be wide and varied to ensure people can offer their views in a way that works for them.”

Today’s launch of the Call for Evidence comes alongside the latest update from the Review’s co-chairs on its progress. The steering group has been exploring challenges with PIP that the Review could address and initiating its workplan.

The Review supports the government’s Plan for Change commitment to break down barriers to opportunity and improve living standards for everyone, including disabled people.

Additional Information

• To respond to the Call for Evidence, use the online form here [live from 8:00am Thursday 19 March].
• Alternative formats can be requested via [email protected]. This includes web accessible PDF, large print, BSL, audio, and easy read.
• The Call for Evidence closes at 11.59 pm on 28 May 2026.
• This Call for Evidence is being administered by DWP on behalf of the Timms Review steering group. Evidence will be submitted to the Review’s steering group, which has been appointed to jointly lead the Review.
• From the Terms of Reference, the steering group has shaped the work of the Review around four key themes:
  • Role and purpose of PIP
  • Eligibility, fairness and equity in the award of PIP
  • Experience of claiming PIP
  • Changing context and the impact on PIP
• See here for the Review’s Terms of Reference.

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/call-for-public-views-to-improve-disability-benefit-for-millions