Turn2us's response to the Timms Review on PIP

On 28 May, the call for evidence for the Timms Review into Personal Independence Payment (PIP) closed. Thank you for sharing your experiences to shape our submission. 

PIP is a vital part of the social security system, enabling disabled people and those with long-term health conditions to manage the extra costs of disability and live independently. However, the current system too often fails to deliver on this purpose. Rebuilding trust within the PIP system is vital to the success of any reforms.  

Based on your experiences and our research, we submitted a response highlighting the following ways the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) can begin to do that: 

• Improving the rates of Universal Credit through an 'Essentials Guarantee'. Too many people have to use PIP to meet everyday living expenses because other benefits such as Universal Credit are insufficient to cover essentials. 
• Strengthening assessor training - to give assessors a better understanding of disability and its impact on people. This is particularly for those living with multiple or fluctuating conditions, so decisions are fairer and more accurate.  
• Working with Social Security Scotland - to see where the principles of dignity, fairness and respect, that have led to more positive claimant experiences in Scotland, can be applied. 
• Not using the PIP assessment as a 'gateway assessment'. Relying on the PIP assessment to provide access to other disability benefits risks distorting the purpose of PIP and, if eligibility is tightened, it could lead to financial hardship and poorer outcomes for people who can't work. 

The future prosperity of our country depends on more people having a decent chance now. It relies on our social security system providing us with the security we all need to thrive. Getting today's decisions right is an investment in a better future for everyone. 

Right now, people do not trust the DWP. When applying for PIP it often feels as if the system is trying to catch us out, which can have a devastating impact on our health and wellbeing. This affects whether we apply for support and receive the help we need. We need access to disability benefits to be simple and compassionate. 

When talking about the future of PIP, recognising PIP as essential for people to live independently is critical to rebuilding trust and effective reforms.