{"id":119407,"date":"2026-04-19T10:30:00","date_gmt":"2026-04-19T09:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/?p=119407"},"modified":"2026-04-19T10:37:10","modified_gmt":"2026-04-19T09:37:10","slug":"pension-changes-concern-pip-assessments","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/pension-changes-concern-pip-assessments\/","title":{"rendered":"Pension Changes Spark Concern as In-Person PIP Assessments Surge"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>The UK government is preparing to increase the number of in-person Personal Independence Payment (<strong>PIP<\/strong>) assessments, marking a shift away from the predominantly remote system used in recent years. The change forms part of wider welfare reform plans outlined by the Department for Work and Pensions (<strong>DWP<\/strong>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At present, most assessments are carried out by <strong>telephone<\/strong>, with only a small proportion conducted face-to-face. The planned increase reflects a policy commitment to expand in-person evaluations, supported by additional recruitment of health professionals and adjustments to assessment capacity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Current Assessment Trends and Planned Increase<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Recent figures show that telephone <a href=\"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/dwp-announces-major-changes-pip-assessments\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"101204\">assessments <\/a>dominate the current system. According to the Department for Work and Pensions, around <strong>68,000 <\/strong>assessments, or 77.5%, were conducted by phone in September last year. In comparison, <strong>12,000<\/strong> (13.8%) were paper-based,<strong> 4,400 <\/strong>(5%) took place in person, and<strong> 3,300 <\/strong>(3%) were carried out via video.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The government now intends to raise the proportion of face-to-face assessments significantly. According to a statement from <em>Sir Stephen Timms<\/em>, Minister for Social Security and Disability, the DWP aims to increase in-person assessments to<strong> 30%,<\/strong> up from 5% in 2024. This shift was reaffirmed in the Autumn Budget and linked to commitments outlined in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/government\/consultations\/pathways-to-work-reforming-benefits-and-support-to-get-britain-working-green-paper\/pathways-to-work-reforming-benefits-and-support-to-get-britain-working-green-paper\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Pathways to Work Green Paper<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Timms stated that assessment providers are contractually required to increase in-person appointments and plan recruitment accordingly. According to the same statement, the department is working closely with suppliers to expand capacity, with a focus on hiring qualified health professionals for assessment centres.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The reforms come as more than 3.9 million people across England and Wales receive PIP, with weekly payments ranging from <strong>\u00a330.30 to \u00a3194.60<\/strong>. Updated rates introduced on April 6 set the enhanced daily living component at \u00a3114.60 and the standard rate at \u00a376.70, while mobility payments stand at <strong>\u00a380.00<\/strong> and<strong> \u00a330.30<\/strong> respectively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">We\u2019re ensuring people get the support they need into the right job<br><br>From today, people receiving the health element of Universal Credit will get information explaining how a Pathways to Work Adviser can provide free, voluntary employment support<a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/jLh6HgM33q\">https:\/\/t.co\/jLh6HgM33q<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/Ck7Sg2mAuy\">pic.twitter.com\/Ck7Sg2mAuy<\/a><\/p>&mdash; Department for Work and Pensions (@DWPgovuk) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/DWPgovuk\/status\/2041905986500235385?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">April 8, 2026<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What Claimants Can Expect during Assessments<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>A PIP assessment is designed to evaluate how a condition affects daily life rather than provide a medical diagnosis. According to guidance referenced by<a href=\"https:\/\/www.citizensadvice.org.uk\/benefits\/sick-or-disabled-people-and-carers\/pip\/help-with-your-claim\/fill-in-form-pip\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> Citizens Advice<\/a>, claimants are expected to describe in detail how their condition impacts routine activities, including mobility, memory, and self-care.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Assessors consider both the information submitted in the <strong>PIP2 form<\/strong> and observations made during the assessment itself. For example, how a claimant travels to an assessment centre may be interpreted as an indication of their ability to use public transport independently, unless clarified otherwise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Claimants may also be asked to perform <strong>physical tasks <\/strong>during face-to-face assessments. Guidance stresses that individuals should not attempt activities they would not normally perform, as this could influence the assessor\u2019s conclusions. In remote assessments, similar scrutiny applies through detailed questioning about everyday tasks such as cooking, dressing, and moving around the home.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The process also includes an evaluation of mental state and communication. According to the published guidance, assessors may note whether a claimant appears anxious, relaxed, or withdrawn, and how they engage socially during the interaction.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Support is permitted during <strong>assessments<\/strong>. Individuals can bring someone aged 16 or over, including a friend, relative, or carer, to provide reassurance or assist with note-taking. The DWP also advises claimants to confirm accessibility needs in advance, including interpreter services or specific facility requirements at assessment centres.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Where travel poses a difficulty, alternative arrangements may be offered. According to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/government\/publications\/personal-independence-payment-assessment-guide-for-assessment-providers\/pip-assessment-guide-part-1-the-assessment-process\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">GOV.UK<\/a> guidance, claimants whose assessment location is more than <strong>90 minutes<\/strong> away by public transport may be eligible for a different venue or a home visit.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The government is increasing face-to-face PIP assessments as part of wider pension-related reforms, marking a shift from a system where most checks have been conducted remotely until now. New targets are set to rebalance how assessments are carried out, meaning many claimants could soon encounter a different process.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":119413,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[46],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-119407","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-social-welfare","generate-columns","tablet-grid-50","mobile-grid-100","grid-parent","grid-33","no-featured-image-padding"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/119407","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=119407"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/119407\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":119414,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/119407\/revisions\/119414"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/119413"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=119407"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=119407"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=119407"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}