The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has initiated a trial of a new system for assessing Personal Independence Payment (PIP) claims, sparking strong criticism from disability campaigners who label it a 'recipe for disaster.' The current process involves medical professionals conducting assessments and awarding points, which can entitle claimants to up to £194.60 per week. Under the proposed changes, DWP case managers will determine the points awarded to individuals with disabilities, based on information gathered by nurses, physiotherapists, and other assessors.
Trial Details and Potential Expansion
The trial, now underway with 150,000 claimants, could eventually be extended to assessments for the health-related component of Universal Credit. A DWP whistleblower told Disability Rights UK: 'Removing health professionals from the decision-making process will strip out essential medical nuance, leading to poorer quality, less accurate, and less fair outcomes. Many vulnerable claimants will face wrong decisions, increased stress, financial hardship, and unnecessary appeals.'
Campaigner Concerns
Fazilet Hadi, head of policy at Disability Rights UK, expressed alarm: 'Stopping health professionals from making recommendations on the basis of their assessment and requiring them to solely pass information to DWP case managers to make the determination, is a recipe for disaster, which will result in thousands of poorly informed and inaccurate decisions. Claiming PIP is intensely personal; we have to talk about the impacts of our impairments and health conditions, in ways many of us find emotionally and practically difficult. At least we have some chance of our individual needs and circumstances being understood, when the recommendations are being made by the people we have actually spoken to.'
DWP Response
A DWP spokesperson countered: 'Case managers already make all final PIP decisions - that has not changed. This small-scale trial is about re-balancing roles so that assessors focus on what they do best, freeing up capacity by reducing duplication, and empowering case managers to apply their own judgement based on all the evidence.' The DWP also confirmed to The Independent that it is altering PIP assessments to set all award reviews at a minimum of three years for new claims, rising to five years at the next review if the claimant remains entitled. This change, which increases the time between reviews for most claimants, does not apply to those aged 24 and under.
