The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has announced a significant rule change that will benefit nearly four million people receiving Personal Independence Payments (PIP). The new regulations extend the minimum period between health assessments for existing claimants to three years, rising to five years at subsequent reviews if they remain entitled.
Longer Review Periods
Under the changes, which came into effect from April 6, new PIP claimants aged 25 and over will have their health reviews extended to a minimum of three years, increasing to five years at the next review if they still qualify. The DWP has now set out regulations to apply these longer timeframes to all existing PIP award reviews.
The government estimates that these changes will deliver savings of approximately £300 million overall, with around £230 million coming from adjustments to existing claimants. The DWP stated that the measure aims to free up health professionals to conduct more face-to-face assessments and address the backlog of reassessments.
Background on PIP
PIP is the main disability benefit for working-age individuals in the UK. Eligibility is based on how a condition affects daily life rather than the condition itself. Since 2016, nearly 60% of award reviews in England and Wales have resulted in no change.
Ministerial Comments
Disabilities Minister Sir Stephen Timms welcomed the changes, stating: “Reforming the welfare system so that it better meets the needs of disabled people is a priority for the government. A major part of this is ensuring that PIP is fit and fair for the future – and we are taking an important step to improve the system through new legislation, which will reduce the frequency of reviews for many existing PIP customers.”
He added: “This will make the system more efficient by freeing up the capacity of health professionals to tackle our inherited assessment backlog, while removing unnecessary pressure from disabled claimants whose conditions rarely change at each review.”
Sir Stephen also noted that face-to-face assessments for PIP are being increased from 6% in 2024 to 30% of all assessments. Additionally, his ongoing review is examining how to bolster PIP for the future, with a call for evidence open for public input.
Charity Reactions
Harriet Edwards, director of influencing at the national disability charity Sense, said: “The process of applying for disability benefits is long, complicated, and emotionally distressing, and so we welcome these plans to help disabled people go through fewer assessments in the future. Sense research found over half of disabled PIP claimants with complex needs felt humiliated during their assessment; clearly this process needs to urgently change.”
Fazilet Hadi, Disability Rights UK’s head of policy, commented: “Reducing the frequency of PIP reviews makes sense, both for disabled people and DWP. So often our needs remain the same, and reviews just cause anxiety. It is of concern that face-to-face reviews will increase, as these can be physically and emotionally challenging.”
