Disabled people with lifelong conditions are being required to attend benefit reassessments far more often than official guidance would appear to suggest. According to analysis by the anti-poverty charity Z2K, large numbers of claimants with conditions unlikely to improve are still receiving fixed-term PIP awards that trigger reviews every three years.
The charity argues that the current approach is placing unnecessary strain on claimants while also consuming significant public resources. The issue comes as welfare spending and disability benefit administration remain under close scrutiny.
Most Reassessments Result in No Change to Payments
According to Z2K, Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) guidance states that people with lifelong and progressive conditions should not generally be reassessed more than once every 10 years. Yet the charity’s analysis found that fixed-term awards remain common among claimants with conditions that have little or no prospect of significant improvement.
The figures show that 73% of people with learning disabilities, 86% of those who had undergone an amputation, and 62% of people with cerebral palsy were given fixed-term awards. The same applied to 89% of claimants with multiple sclerosis and 61% of those with Parkinson’s disease.
According to Z2K, almost 75% of planned award reviews completed last year resulted in no change to the claimant’s payments. The charity said this amounted to more than 500,000 reassessments. Among reviews that did alter awards, 10% led to increased payments, while 16% resulted in payments being reduced or stopped.
The report also noted that ongoing “light-touch” awards, intended for people whose conditions are unlikely to change, remain relatively uncommon. According to the charity, they accounted for just 6.9% of new PIP claims in 2025. Samuel Thomas, senior policy adviser at Z2K, said the data suggested existing guidance was not being followed consistently and described many reassessments as “pointless”.
Claimants Report Financial and Emotional Strain
The charity also raised concerns about how reviews are conducted. According to Z2K, PIP award reviews now take an average of 38 weeks to complete and often reassess claimants from the beginning rather than focusing on changes since the previous decision.
Z2K said this approach can contribute to errors, inconsistencies and appeals. The charity added that some claimants have their support reduced or removed during reviews, creating financial hardship and increasing the risk of homelessness.
One claimant highlighted in the report is Steve, a former NHS technician from south London who sustained a brain injury in a car accident in 2019. After beginning to receive PIP in 2021, his award was reassessed two years later and reduced by £120 per month, despite no change in his condition.
Steve appealed the decision and, in January 2026, his original award level was restored and backdated. The process took two and a half years. He told the Guardian that repeated assessments were exhausting and that he was already concerned about facing another review.
Responding to the findings, a DWP spokesperson said the government was extending award review periods to reduce pressure on disabled people and generate savings. The spokesperson also said that PIP assessments consider how individuals manage daily activities rather than relying solely on medical diagnoses, and pointed to the ongoing Timms Review examining the future of the system, including reassessments.
