The Timms Review is a review of the Personal Independence Payment (PIP). It is led by a group of people with experience of PIP. The group is chaired by the Minister for Disabled People, Sir Stephen Timms. The Review will make recommendations for Government on how to reform PIP.

In September, the Review published its draft recommendations. These are the first draft of the Review’s recommendations. You can read the draft recommendations for yourself here.

It is important to know that these proposals are ideas that the Review are seeking feedback on. They are not the final recommendations. No changes are going to be made to PIP straightaway. 

In the meantime, let’s look at the draft recommendations to see what they might mean for PIP.

The Review’s recommendations are set out in 3 groups. The groups focus on the experience of PIP, changing the assessment process, and the future of PIP. 

Group 1: Improving the experience of PIP

Recommendations in group 1 are about making PIP easier to apply for. And ways to make the PIP process a better experience for claimants. The recommendations in group 1 include:

• Improve the award review process. And stop unnecessary reviews for claimants with lifelong conditions.
• Make the PIP application form, known as the PIP2 form, more accessible and easier to compete.
• Improve the way reasonable adjustments are made to the PIP process.
• Introduce an advocacy service to help people with their application.

Group 2: Improving the assessment and decision making processes

Group 2 sets out ways to improve the assessment process and how decisions are made. The recommendations include:

• Review the 28 day hospitalisation rule. At the moment, someone who is in hospital for 28 days or more has their PIP award stopped.
• Improve assessments for people with fluctuating conditions.
• Introduce different types of assessment. Rather than an in person assessment for everyone.

Group 3: The future of PIP

Recommendations in group 3 set out what PIP should look like in the future. This includes:

• New digital services to manage the PIP process. Such as a portal where claimants can upload evidence. Other formats like paper based forms will still be available.
• Improve how data about experiences of PIP is collected. 

Principles of a new PIP

Lastly, the Review sets out some principles for what PIP should be like after it is reformed. Some of the main principles for the benefit are:

• Keep cash as the foundation of PIP awards.
• PIP should be a non-means tested benefit to help with the extra costs of disability.
• The assessment process should be as simple as possible. 
• Have a “Tell Us Once” approach for collecting evidence.
• Some awards will include non cash support and services.
• Using cost categories to assess people’s extra costs.

Scope welcomes the draft recommendations. They address problems that disabled people have told the Government about for years.

Earlier this year, we published our Futureproofing Benefits report. We asked disabled people what changes they want to PIP. More than 2 in 3 disabled people want any changes to stop unnecessary assessments. 4 in 5 disabled people want changes to make the benefits system more dignified.

Many of the Review’s draft recommendations have a chance at achieving these goals.

However, a lot of important detail about how these changes would work is missing. Including the assessment process and what eligibility for PIP will be. 

Last year, the Government set out plans to remove the Work Capability Assessment. Eligibility for the health element will be assessed through the PIP assessment. The Review has not included recommendations about this. We know this is important to disabled people. More than 2 in 3 disabled people told us that they do not want PIP to assess capability to work. 

The Timms Review has a real chance of making sure the Government gets PIP reform right. This is needed now more than ever. 

We want to see the Review provide more detail on what the assessment process for PIP should look like. We want the PIP assessment to be person centred for everyone. And include better support for people with fluctuating conditions.

We also want to see the Review recommend to the Government that capability to work does not become part of PIP. And that the PIP assessment does not become the assessment for the health element as well.

The Timms Review are now gathering feedback on the draft proposals. From both disabled people and organisations.

This week, Scope attended a workshop with the Timms Review team. We shared our feedback on how to improve the recommendations.

The final recommendations will be published in November 2026. Pat McFadden will then decide what changes are made to PIP.