UK Review of Disability Benefit Finds Assessment System Needs Overhaul Amid Rising Costs

The BBC reported that an interim review of personal independence payments concludes the benefit is not working for millions of disabled people or the government and requires a sweeping overhaul of its assessment system. Sir Stephen Timms, the minister leading the review, told the BBC that Pip is not fit for purpose and promised fundamental change in recommendations due in the autumn.

The UK government asked Sir Stephen last year to examine whether Pip was fair and fit for the future.

His initial report will be published on Thursday. The BBC reported that spending on the benefit is forecast to rise to more than £41bn by 2030, with about four million claimants entitled to Pip in England and Wales as of April this year. Pip was introduced in 2013.

The number of recipients has risen considerably since then, with the increase fuelled by claimants citing mental health conditions in recent years. Eligibility is determined through an assessment in which claimants are scored on a zero to 12 scale by a health professional on everyday tasks such as washing, getting dressed and preparing food.

Sir Stephen said the assessment can be demeaning and deter people from participating in society.

He added that it has not kept pace with changing understanding of health and disability over the last 13 years since the benefit was introduced. The BBC reported that claimants described the process as dehumanising and a barrier to work in evidence submitted to the review. The government U-turned on changing Pip rules until it had time to consider the review's conclusions.

Dozens of Labour MPs had expressed concerns about plans to cut disability and sickness-related benefits to save £5bn a year by 2030. Sir Stephen said he is not expecting the final report to contain crude proposals. The BBC reported that he met disabled people at an event hosted by the MS Society to discuss the findings.