DWP Appoints Steering Group for Landmark PIP Review
The Department for Work and Pensions has taken a significant step in its comprehensive review of Personal Independence Payment by appointing twelve members to a dedicated steering group. This marks the first ever thorough examination of the PIP system since its inception.
Lived Experience at the Core
Disabled people will have their voices placed firmly at the heart of this historic review process. All appointed steering group members bring either direct lived experience of disability or long-term health conditions, or substantial experience working within Disabled People's Organisations.
The expertise represented within the group spans multiple critical areas including welfare policy development, accessibility advocacy, and systemic reform. Members possess backgrounds in co-production methodologies, governance structures, and leadership within disability communities.
Strategic Direction for the Timms Review
The newly formed steering group will provide strategic direction and help establish clear priorities and a detailed work plan for what has become known as the Timms Review. They will work alongside the Review's three co-chairs: Minister Sir Stephen Timms, Sharon Brennan, and Dr Clenton Farquharson CBE.
The group's remit includes examining several fundamental aspects of the PIP system:
- The role of PIP in enabling disabled people to achieve better health outcomes and live independent lives
- The current PIP assessment criteria for daily living and mobility components
- How the assessment process could better provide access to appropriate support across the wider benefits system
Addressing Rising Claimant Numbers
The review comes at a critical juncture as PIP claims have surged dramatically in recent years. Official figures reveal that while there were two million working-age people receiving PIP in 2019, this number had risen to more than 3.9 million by the end of October 2025.
The DWP projects that the number of PIP claimants will exceed four million by the end of this decade. This substantial increase has prompted the need for a thorough examination of the system's sustainability and fairness.
Review Objectives and Timeline
The primary objective of the Timms Review is to ensure that PIP remains both fair and suitable for future generations. This involves reflecting people's actual conditions and aspirations while considering societal changes that have occurred since the benefit was originally designed and launched in 2013.
The DWP has noted that since PIP's introduction, there have been evolving patterns in long-term health conditions and disability prevalence. While more people are living with disabilities, the rise in those receiving disability benefits is occurring at twice the rate of increasing prevalence amongst working-age adults in England and Wales.
The Timms Review is expected to submit its comprehensive report to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions by Autumn 2026, with an interim update anticipated before the final submission.
Ministerial and Co-Chair Perspectives
Minister for Social Security and Disability Sir Stephen Timms emphasised the importance of this review, stating: "Disabled people deserve a system that truly supports them to live with independence and dignity, and that fairly reflects the reality of their lives today."
He added: "That's why we're putting disabled people at the heart of this Review - ensuring their voices shape the changes that will help them achieve better health, greater independence, and access to the right support when they need it."
Co-chair Sharon Brennan highlighted the diversity of the steering group: "The group we have chosen shows our commitment to ensuring this review is co-produced with people from a diversity of backgrounds including lived and living experience, protected characteristics, geographies and professions."
She acknowledged the limitations of representation, noting: "But 15 people can't represent everyone, which is why our work will be part of a wider engagement process to ensure we hear from many more voices throughout the review."
Co-chair Dr Clenton Farquharson CBE stressed the vital role of PIP: "Personal Independence Payment plays a vital role in enabling disabled people to live independent lives. This Review will listen closely to lived experience, test whether the system is fair, and ensure PIP reflects the realities of disability in the modern world."
Charity Coalition Response
A coalition of charities has welcomed the inclusion of disabled people on the steering group while issuing important cautions. The Disability Benefits Consortium - a coalition of over 100 charities including the MS Society, Scope, Parkinson's UK and Mencap - stated that the review presents an opportunity for "real change" to an assessment system they describe as fundamentally flawed.
The DBC noted that current assessments are "not only stressful, they fail to recognise the impact of fluctuating and progressive conditions like MS - often denying people the support they need to live independently."
Charles Gillies, DBC policy co-chair and senior policy officer at the MS Society, described the steering group composition as "undeniably positive that most members of the new steering group have lived experience of disability or claiming Pip."
He added a crucial warning: "This review must now engage meaningfully with the steering group and disabled people more generally, and remain laser-focused on improving the fairness of PIP assessments - or we risk this vital opportunity being wasted. And crucially, it cannot become about making cuts."
Next Steps in the Review Process
The steering group's work has already commenced following an informal introductory call and induction session in January 2026. The coming weeks will see several key developments:
- The first formal steering group meetings
- The commencement of detailed co-production and policy work in February
- Preparations for a broader, fully accessible engagement programme beyond the steering group, launching in spring 2026
This structured approach aims to ensure that the review process is both thorough and inclusive, drawing on expertise from across the disability community while maintaining momentum toward meaningful reform of the Personal Independence Payment system.
