DWP update as increased face-to-face PIP assessments on the table for claimants

People who claim Personal Independence Payment (PIP) are being made aware of proposed changes that are expected to come to light later this year. Finance expert Laura Pomfret explained everything claimants need to know during today's (May 14) episode of BBC Morning Live. She told viewers that the government is conducting a review of PIP and is looking into potential changes. Listing a few factors under consideration, Laura said these include increased face-to-face assessments , longer gaps between reviews, recording assessments, no reviews for the worst conditions, and sharing medical evidence. PIP is a government benefit designed to help people with the extra costs associated with a long-term health condition or disability. It is non-means-tested, meaning income or employment status does not affect eligibility. PIP consists of two components: the Daily Living Component, which assists with everyday activities, and the Mobility Component, which helps with mobility. The benefit is available to those who are working, self-employed, or not working. As of January 31, 2026, there were 3.9 million PIP claimants in England and Wales alone. Scotland has the Adult Disability Payment, and Northern Ireland has its own version of PIP. PIP rates increased by 3.8% on April 6, 2026, in line with the Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation. The adjustment was automatic for existing claimants and applies regardless of employment status, as PIP is non-means-tested. The government is currently undergoing a comprehensive review of PIP, known as the Timms Review, to assess its relevance and effectiveness. The review aims to report back by autumn 2026 and is examining several key areas. A significant proposed change is the 6% to 30% increase in face-to-face assessments for PIP and a 13% to 30% jump for Work Capability Assessment. Home visits will still be available as an alternative for those unable to attend in person. Explaining what changes the government is looking to potentially bring in, Laura told viewers: "Firstly, they're looking to increase face-to-face assessments for PIP and for the work capability assessment as well, which is something separate outside of PIP. So face-to-face assessments expected to rise from 6% to 30%, which is quite a jump. "And for the work capability assessment, it's looking to increase face-to-face assessments from 13% to, again, 30% of applicants. They will still be offering home visits, an alternative format to those people who can't attend in person, but that's something that is looking being looked at as part of this review. "They're also looking at longer gaps between PIP reviews, extending the PIP review period. So the first one: three years; the second assessment thereafter: five years. And that does look like it's actually going ahead and so people will be told about that in the summer of this year, so longer periods between assessments." Laura said that the next potential change the government is looking at is recording assessments as standard. She said: "So actually recording them, collecting data on these assessments, which may make some people feel uneasy. "I think the idea behind this is to build trust, to gather evidence for those people wanting to appeal to accurately record what happened in that assessment. So it might be reassuring to some people that you can opt out if you would prefer not to be recorded. That's kind of in the review as well." Laura said another option being considered is for people with long-term or worsening conditions. She said: "So the government's looking at whether the 10-year review cycle needs to be updated, whether better support between the reviews should be put in place for people as well, and crucially also exploring whether evidence from other services could mean that people with very severe conditions won't need a full PIP assessment at all, they can kind of gather wider data and look at that." For her final point, Laura said the government is also exploring better use of medical evidence. "So, can they digitally share medical evidence from the NHS to the DWP with consent, which can help people provide the right health evidence, which, again, some people may feel unsure about?" She said. "Some people may think, actually, that's going to help me in my application to help use medical evidence to demonstrate that I should be entitled to PIP. That one's looking at 2027, 2028, so not straight away. But all of these are going to form part of the review, and we're going to hear more about it in autumn later this year."