People receiving Personal Independence Payment (PIP) are being invited to take part in workshops designed to test emerging recommendations from the Timms Review. Participants may receive one-off payments, but the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has confirmed that those payments are subject to tax and National Insurance and may affect some benefit entitlements.
The development comes as the DWP also changes the way health assessments are handled for PIP and other disability and sickness benefits. Face-to-face and telephone assessments are now audio recorded as standard unless a claimant chooses to opt out, a move intended to improve transparency and provide a more accurate record of what was said.
Workshop Payments Could Affect Tax and Benefit Entitlement
The workshops are due to begin in mid-September and will take place in several parts of the UK, including the north east, Midlands, London, the south, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. They form part of the next stage of the Timms Review, which is examining how PIP should operate in future.
According to the Birmingham Mail, the DWP will issue one-off payments to people selected to participate in the workshops. The department has said these payments are subject to tax and National Insurance contributions, and participants are responsible for disclosing them to HM Revenue and Customs.
The DWP guidance also states that voluntary participation in the workshops is not considered “work” for the purpose of means-tested benefits. Claimants are nevertheless advised to inform their work coach or local Jobcentre before taking part.
The department says the payments will be treated as earnings because of their value and nature, which means they could affect benefit entitlement depending on individual circumstances. Universal Credit claimants can raise questions through their online journal, while others are advised to contact the office responsible for their benefit. Participants may also choose to attend without receiving the payment, or ask for a lower amount once payment and expenses guidance has been provided.
The workshops are intended to test emerging recommendations against the experiences of people who have applied for or received PIP. Dr Clenton Farquharson CBE, co-chair of the review and a member of the workshop working group, said the process was designed not simply to hear experiences but to assess how proposals might work in practice.
Audio Recording Becomes Standard for Disability Benefit Assessments
A separate change now means face-to-face and telephone health assessments for PIP, Work Capability Assessments for Universal Credit and Employment and Support Allowance, and Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit are audio recorded by default. According to the Daily Record, claimants previously had to opt in to recording, and fewer than 3 per cent did so. People who do not want their assessment recorded can still opt out.
The DWP has said written reports will continue to be used during decision-making, while recordings can provide an additional record where needed. Disability and social security minister Sir Stephen Timms said the change was intended to improve transparency, trust and assessment quality.
The same review process is continuing alongside these assessment changes. An interim report published last month drew on evidence from more than 38,000 people and organisations and found that the current assessment process was creating barriers for some disabled people, particularly those with fluctuating conditions, less visible disabilities and multiple health conditions.
According to the Daily Record, the DWP has said no changes to PIP arising from the review will be implemented until the review has concluded this autumn. Any legislative proposals would also need to be debated in Parliament.
