The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is facing fresh criticism over its handling of Personal Independence Payment (PIP) reassessments, with a charity claiming that hundreds of thousands of disabled people with lifelong conditions are being subjected to unnecessary reviews each year.
Unnecessary Reassessments Costing Taxpayers Millions
Anti-poverty charity Z2K has analysed DWP data and found that almost three-quarters of planned PIP reviews last year resulted in no change to the claimant's award. This equates to more than 500,000 reassessments that achieved nothing, while costing taxpayers significant sums. The DWP is estimated to spend over £350 million annually on PIP assessment contracts.
Samuel Thomas, senior policy adviser at Z2K, said: "Department for Work and Pensions guidance says disabled people with lifelong and progressive conditions should not be reassessed more than once a decade – but the data shows these rules simply aren't being followed."
He told the Guardian: "Shockingly high proportions of disabled people qualifying on the basis of lifelong disabilities like cerebral palsy, permanent hearing loss and amputated limbs are being forced to undergo pointless reassessments, even though their disabilities will not change."
Lifelong Conditions Still Subject to Fixed-Term Awards
Z2K found that many people with lifelong disabilities are still being placed on fixed-term awards that require regular reassessment. Among those affected are claimants with learning disabilities, amputations, cerebral palsy, Parkinson's disease and multiple sclerosis – conditions where significant improvement is often unlikely.
The charity's analysis revealed that 86% of amputees, 73% of people with learning disabilities and 62% of those with cerebral palsy were given fixed-term awards. The figures were even higher for some progressive conditions, with 89% of people with multiple sclerosis and 61% of those with Parkinson's disease also facing repeat reviews.
Official Guidance Not Being Followed
Official DWP guidance states that people with lifelong or deteriorating conditions should normally be reassessed no more than once every decade through so-called "light-touch" reviews. However, Z2K found that ongoing awards accounted for just 6.9% of new PIP claims in 2025.
The charity argues that the system is not only expensive but can also have severe consequences for claimants. Reviews now take an average of 38 weeks to complete and can result in support being wrongly reduced or removed, forcing disabled people to appeal decisions and endure months of uncertainty.
Government Response and Recent Changes
Last week, the Government increased the standard length of fixed-term PIP awards from two years to three years, a move ministers say will reduce pressure on disabled people while helping to deliver around £2 billion in savings. However, campaigners argue that the change fails to address the fundamental problem if people with lifelong conditions continue to be placed on fixed-term awards in the first place.
A DWP spokesman said: "We're taking action to fix the broken welfare system we inherited, including by extending award review periods which will remove unnecessary pressure on disabled people and help to deliver savings of around £2bn."
"Rather than their diagnosis alone, the assessment considers how well someone can manage PIP activities so outcomes depend on individual circumstances. As part of our work to reform the system we also launched the Timms Review – co-produced with disabled people and their representative organisations – to make sure PIP is fit and fair for the future, including reassessments."
