PIP claimants face 5pm deadline to register for DWP workshops

PIP claimants have until 5pm today (Friday, August 21) to register their interest in taking part in a series of workshops organised as part of the Personal Independence Payment (PIP) review. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is inviting people to fill in a form with their details before the closing time.

The review is examining how to reform PIP rules to ensure the benefit is fair and suitable for the modern age. The review team wants to hear from people who currently claim the benefit, as well as others with long-term health conditions or disabilities. PIP is a non-means-tested benefit that provides payments to help claimants cover extra costs associated with living with a long-term health condition or disability.

Workshop details and incentives

The 15 workshop events will take place over September and October, with some held online and others in person, across different parts of the country. Those selected to take part will receive a one-off payment for their time, and travel costs will be reimbursed for in-person events.

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DWP guidance states: "The workshops are aimed primarily at disabled people and people with long-term health conditions and no previous experience of engaging with government reviews is required."

Review lead Dr Clenton Farquharson CBE encouraged people to sign up, saying: "Disabled people and people with long term health conditions know better than anyone how PIP works in real life where it helps, where it creates barriers, and where it needs to change. That experience has to be part of shaping what comes next."

He added: "I would encourage anyone with experience of applying for or receiving PIP to register their interest in taking part. The purpose of these workshops is not simply to hear people's experiences, but to test the review's emerging recommendations against real lives and understand what could make them fairer, clearer and work better in practice."

Information required and selection process

To register, applicants must complete an 'About you' form providing their name, email address (phone number optional), preferred contact method, age group, ethnic group, gender, sexual orientation, disability or health condition, and whether they live in an urban, rural, or coastal area. The form also asks about previous engagement with the PIP review, their experience of PIP, region of residence, preferred workshops, accessibility needs, and food allergies or dietary requirements.

Selected participants will be informed by Friday, September 4. People will be chosen randomly, but the review team will ensure those selected represent a "balanced range" of different people. If a characteristic is underrepresented among those chosen, applicants with that trait will be selected from the wider applicant pool.