The Government have decided to review Personal Independence Payment (PIP). This page is designed to help disabled people understand this Review and contribute to it.
Why Is This Review Happening?
In the summer of 2025, the Government introduced legislation to cut PIP so that fewer disabled people would be able to claim it. However, many MPS said they would not support this plan and so the Government said that no cuts would be made to PIP until after PIP had been ‘fully reviewed’.
The Review chaired by Sir Stephen Timms, DWP Minister for Social Security and Disability, is the review promised by the Government before PIP would be cut. It is not clear whether the Review will make any difference to what Government does about PIP in the future. However, this shouldn’t stop disabled people making their voice heard.
Since announcing the Timms Review, the Government has said that the Review would be led by disabled people. Two co-chairs of the Review have been appointed, both disabled people. They are Sharon Brennan and Dr Clenton Farquharson CBE.
A ‘Steering Group’ of 12 disabled people has also been appointed to co-produce the Review with the DWP. Although the members of the Steering Group are disabled people, most are professional, well-educated ‘Westminster insiders’, not ordinary disabled people.
The Call for Evidence
The Timms Review has asked disabled people and disability groups to send in evidence and views about PIP, supposedly to help the Review decide what to do. However, the ‘Call for Evidence’ document issued by the DWP on behalf of the Review is complicated and hard to understand. Ordinary disabled people are likely to find it a barrier to telling the DWP what they think about PIP.
BuDS Steps In
So that ordinary disabled people can easily make their voice heard to the Timms Review, BuDS has designed 4 survey forms, one for each of the ‘themes’ of the Timms Review. These survey forms ask simple direct questions designed to help disabled people give their views and opinions about PIP.
BuDS will put together all the responses made through these forms into a document for the Timms Review. We will also publish the document.
BuDS has stepped in to help make sure that the voice of ordinary disabled people is heard loud and clear by the Timms Review.
The Survey Forms
There is a survey form for each ‘theme’ of the Timms review. You can access the forms using the buttons below. We do not collect any names or contact details, so you can be perfectly open and honest without worrying that the DWP will get to know what you have said.
You do not need to complete all the survey forms. They are deliberately designed to be easier to complete, as we know disabled people can sometimes struggle with complicated or long forms.
Please complete the forms before 17 May 2026. This allows us time to put together a document for DWP before the Review closes its call for evidence on 28 May 2026.
Remember, if you have nothing to say for some of the questions, just type ‘no reply’ or ‘NA’. Don’t leave the box blank or the form won’t move on.
Theme 1: The Purpose of PIP
The Timms Review want to look at what PIP is intended to achieve and whether it is meeting that purpose. Our survey form has 15 simple questions to help you express your views.
Theme 2: Claiming PIP
The Timms Review want to look how well PIP works as a benefit. This includes how fair PIP is, whether the tests for PIP (the descriptors) work well, how disabled people have to provide evidence to support PIP claims, whether PIP works well for all disabilities or conditions, and whether particular groups in society face extra barriers when claiming PIP. This is a lot of issues, and so this form has 40 simple questions to help you express your views.
Theme 3: Your Experience of Claiming PIP
The Timms Review want to hear from disabled people about their experience of claiming PIP, including assessments, dealing with DWP, and appeals. We are still preparing a survey form for this theme.
Theme 4: Does PIP Need to Change to Fit a Changing World?
The Timms Review want to hear from disabled people about whether PIP as a disability benefit still meets the needs of disabled people in 2026, thirteen years after it was introduced. We are still preparing a survey form for this theme.
Questions?
If you have any questions or need any help with the forms, please use the form below. We will get back to you as soon as we can. BuDS is a small and mainly voluntary charity, so please bear with us.
Donate
BuDS has not been funded to help disabled people respond to the Timms Review. If you value our work and would like to support us, please consider donating or volunteering for us. Use the buttons below to do this.