The UK Government has announced longer award periods for new Personal Independence Payment (PIP) claimants as part of wider efforts to reduce pressure on the welfare assessment system. The changes are intended to ease the backlog of Work Capability Assessments (WCA) and increase the number of face-to-face health assessments.
According to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), the reforms are separate from the ongoing Timms Review, which is examining the future role and structure of PIP. Ministers say the operational changes will also help free up healthcare professionals to carry out reassessments and support more in-person appointments.
The measures came into force in April alongside changes to Universal Credit. The Government said the package forms part of its broader welfare reform programme and follows commitments outlined in the Pathways to Work Green Paper.
Longer Review Periods Introduced for Most New PIP Claimants
Under the new rules, most people aged 25 and over making a new PIP claim will receive an award lasting at least three years before a review takes place. According to the DWP, this replaces the current system in which some claimants can face reviews after as little as nine months.
The department stated that many PIP recipients experience no change to their award following reassessment. If claimants remain eligible after their first review under the revised system, the award period could then extend to five years.
According to government statements reported by the Daily Record, the changes are designed to allow healthcare professionals to focus on more face-to-face assessments and carry out additional WCA reassessments. Ministers also said reassessments remain necessary because health conditions and disabilities can change over time.
The operational reforms are distinct from the Timms Review, which is examining areas including PIP eligibility, the assessment process and the role of the benefit in supporting disabled people’s independence and living standards.
The Government has also confirmed plans to increase the proportion of in-person assessments. Contracts agreed under the previous administration had required 80 per cent of assessments to be conducted remotely, including by telephone, video call and paper-based methods following the COVID-19 pandemic.
Face-To-Face Assessments Expected to Rise Sharply
According to figures released by the DWP, face-to-face PIP assessments accounted for six per cent of all assessments in 2024, equivalent to around 57,000 appointments. Under the new plans, that share is expected to increase to 30 per cent.
For the Work Capability Assessment, face-to-face appointments represented 13 per cent of assessments in 2024, or approximately 74,000 cases. The Government said this figure will also rise to 30 per cent.
The DWP said the combined reforms are expected to save £1.9 billion by the end of the 2030/31 financial year. The package also includes employment support programmes aimed at sick and disabled people, including Connect to Work and the redeployment of 1,000 work coaches.
Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden said the Government was seeking to reform what he described as a welfare system that had “written off millions as too sick to work”. According to the department, ministers believe the increase in face-to-face assessments and efforts to reduce the WCA backlog will create a system that supports claimants while also improving fairness for taxpayers. The Government added that the reforms are intended to help deliver a welfare system focused on both financial support and employment opportunities for those able to work.
