A money expert has warned that the current PIP (Personal Independence Payment) assessment process risks being "inconsistent" in how claimants' needs are reviewed, as the Government considers a raft of recommendations to change the system.
Hannah Martin, pensions expert and founder of Rich Retiree, pointed to key issues that the DWP should look to fix as a major Government review of PIP moves forward. She said: "The current points-based system doesn't always accurately reflect people's needs and can be inconsistent. For example, two people with the same health condition could have very different levels of need; even their own levels of need can fluctuate over time. It can also be hard to quantify costs."
Assessment outcomes 'may not be consistent'
Martin warned that a key problem is that the outcome of assessments is often somewhat arbitrary, as it depends on "the ability of the claimant in being able to effectively communicate and evidence their struggles and needs", while the decisions of assessors "may not be consistent across the board".
Her comments come as the Government is carrying out a review of the benefit, co-chaired by DWP minister Sir Stephen Timms. This review is looking at how to reform the system to make it fairer and to better suit the needs of people with health conditions and disabilities, who PIP is meant to support.
An interim report from the review team said they had heard concerns from claimants about the assessment process. The report said: "There are concerns about whether the functional assessment and descriptors fully reflect real-life impacts, particularly for fluctuating, multiple, and less visible conditions, as well as about the consistency and transparency of decision-making and the role of supporting evidence."
How are PIP payment awards decided?
PIP provides varying payments intended to help cover the extra costs of living with a long-term illness, health condition or disability. Claimants are typically assessed to determine to what extent their condition impacts them, and so how much they should get in payments. You get points depending on to what extent you are impacted, and you need to accrue a certain amount of points to qualify for either the lower or higher rate for each part of the benefit.
PIP payments are made up of a mobility element and a daily living element - you can get one part while not qualifying for any payments for the other. Martin said these changes would improve the system: better measuring genuine need, allowing for fluctuations of need, and greater consistency in assessments.
The expert said: "There seems to be an acceptance among claimants that assessments are 'hit and miss', depending on who is conducting them, and that there is an unfair onus on the claimant to gather adequate evidence. This could potentially penalise some of the people in greatest need."
Martin also called for more "emotional intelligence and humanity" in the benefit system, as people with lifelong conditions. She said: "It's not surprising that there is a low level of trust in the system right now. People need more consistent, fairer decision-making, transparency in how decisions impacting them have been reached, and a more proportionate, less stressful appeals process."
PIP review next steps
The review team is now putting together its recommendations for its final report, which is set to be presented to the Government in November 2026. To help shape these recommendations, a series of workshops are taking place in September and October, to hear more of people's views.
A range of people are taking part, including current PIP claimants, others who live with health conditions, and those who otherwise have a stake in the future of PIP, such as carers. Martin said these events are important so policymakers can hear what it's like on the ground. She said: "I think it's important that workshops are taking place and that people with lived experience are being allowed to contribute. I hope they are including people with a wide range of disabilities and health conditions. Only the people who need and use the system genuinely understand how it works in practice, and how it impacts them. I hope that the learnings from the workshops are used to influence policy changes going forward."
