The Resolution Foundation has recommended that the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) change the way Personal Independence Payment (PIP) assessments are carried out, and consider one-off financial support for some claimants, ahead of the UK Government's review of the benefit.
The think tank has also called for more frequent but less stressful check-ins with claimants, particularly those whose conditions fluctuate. None of the proposals has been confirmed as a change to PIP rules or payments.
Proposed changes to PIP assessments
The Resolution Foundation has recommended changing the assessment process so claimants are asked directly about the additional costs they face and the support that would help them participate more fully in everyday life. It argued that the current system does not adequately reflect the experiences of people with multiple or fluctuating conditions.
The report also recommended more frequent, lower-stakes contact with claimants rather than relying on assessments that take place less often but can have significant consequences for their financial support. According to the think tank, this could provide a better understanding of how someone's condition changes over time while reducing the stress associated with assessments.
One-off payments for some disability-related costs
The report also suggested considering one-off financial support for people who face particular disability-related expenses rather than ongoing additional costs. Its research found that 30 per cent of respondents with higher costs reported expenses involving appliances, such as buying a mobility aid. A further 22 per cent reported needing one-off adaptations to their home or vehicle.
The Resolution Foundation argued that support could be better tailored to these types of expenses while retaining ongoing financial assistance for people who regularly face additional costs. The proposals do not mean that existing PIP claimants will have their payments replaced by one-off awards. Any changes to the benefit would require UK Government decisions, and no new arrangements have been announced.
Survey findings and savings estimates
The recommendations follow research commissioned by the Resolution Foundation involving 2,611 PIP recipients aged between 16 and 64 in England and Wales. The survey, carried out by Savanta during May and June 2026, found that 16 per cent of respondents reported having no additional costs because of their condition. Of those surveyed, 12 per cent reported no additional costs and relatively low limitations, while four per cent reported no additional costs but higher levels of limitation.
The think tank estimated that £4.4 billion could be saved if payments were stopped or reduced according to the limitations reported by those who said they faced no additional costs. It also found that 21 per cent of PIP claimants aged between 16 and 24 in its research reported little limitation and no additional disability-related costs. These figures are findings from a survey and estimates of potential savings, rather than evidence that the DWP has identified claimants who are receiving payments incorrectly.
Concerns raised over proposed reforms
Louise Murphy, senior economist at the Resolution Foundation, said: "Pip is a vital benefit for disabled people that enables them to participate in society and live more independently." She added: "But the current system is failing on several fronts – recipients don’t trust it, awards don’t fully reflect the nature of disability today, and spending is rising unsustainably."
She also said: "A system more attuned to people’s needs would also mean that around one in six people who don’t face additional costs because of their disability would either no longer qualify for support, or only receive limited help." However, learning disability charity Mencap challenged the findings. Its chief executive, Jon Sparkes, said the survey was "inconsistent with our own research and understanding around the importance of Pip and what people with a learning disability and their families spend it on". He added: "A learning disability is lifelong. The extra costs that come with it don’t go away, and neither should adequate support to meet them."
Mencap stressed that PIP can help cover costs including energy bills, attending appointments, sensory aids and participation in community life. The charity also called for reforms to be shaped by disabled people.
A DWP spokesperson said: "PIP is awarded based on a functional assessment that determines how a condition impacts a person’s day-to-day needs." They added: "But as the Timms Review report made clear, PIP is no longer fit for purpose and the recommendations from its final report will lay the foundation for sustainable reform."
Official figures published in September show that spending on PIP increased from £16.3 billion in 2019/20, adjusted for inflation, to £27.3 billion in 2024/25. Expenditure is forecast to reach £41.5 billion by 2030/31. The latest figures also show that 4.1 million people were entitled to PIP at the end of July 2026, an increase of 262,045 compared with the previous year.
For now, PIP continues to be assessed under the existing rules. People already receiving the benefit do not need to take action because of the Resolution Foundation's recommendations.
