Disabled people invited to shape recommendations of review into PIP

Disabled people and people with long-term health conditions are being invited to take part in a series of workshops that will help shape recommendations for the future of Personal Independence Payment (PIP).

Many people described assessment and decision-making processes as “stressful” and “dehumanising” and reported that PIP, while widely valued as a benefit, can itself create additional barriers to participation and independence.

Ahead of its final Report, due in Autumn 2026, the Review’s steering group is now developing emerging recommendations and will be seeking views on them from people across the UK.

The 15 workshops will be held online and in person across the UK during September and October 2026, ensuring people from all parts of the country can take part in discussing, testing and refining the recommendations.

The workshops are aimed primarily at disabled people and people with long-term health conditions and no previous experience of engaging with government reviews is required.

Alongside these workshops, the Review will also be contacting stakeholders including Disabled People’s Organisations, charities and MPs to test and refine its emerging recommendations over the same period.

Co-Chair of the Review and member of the shaping recommendations workshops working group Dr Clenton Farquharson CBE said:

Disabled people and people with long term health conditions know better than anyone how PIP works in real life where it helps, where it creates barriers, and where it needs to change. That experience has to be part of shaping what comes next.

I would encourage anyone with experience of applying for or receiving PIP to register their interest in taking part. The purpose of these workshops is not simply to hear people’s experiences, but to test the Review’s emerging recommendations against real lives and understand what could make them fairer, clearer and work better in practice.

Most importantly, I am committed to showing how what people tell us influences the recommendations we ultimately make.

Feedback from participants in these workshops will be considered by the Review as it finalises it recommendations. These workshops, alongside intensive engagement throughout the process, will ensure the Review is grounded in the experiences of disabled people and people with long-term health conditions before the report is submitted to the government.

Prior to this, more than 38,000 responses to the Review’s Call for Evidence were received, alongside workshops and engagement with disabled people, their organisations and experts, to feed into the Review.

Registration for the workshops opens on Wednesday 12 August 2026 at 10am and closes on Friday 21 August 2026 at 5pm. Selected participants will be informed by 4 September 2026.

Selection will be done randomly but the steering group will review and ensure the people chosen represent a balanced range of characteristics. Where a particular characteristic is under-represented, applicants with that characteristic will be identified from the wider applicant pool and selected at random to fill any gaps.

Additional Information:

• Applications to take part in the workshops are now open: Timms Review of Personal Independence Payment: Register your interest in a shaping recommendations workshop – GOV.UK
• Disabled people, people living with a long-term health condition, as well as carers, family members of disabled people and support workers are all eligible to register their interest in taking part in the workshops.
• The Timms Review is co-chaired by Sir Stephen Timms, Minister for Social Security and Disability, Sharon Brennan and Dr Clenton Farquharson CBE, with a steering group of 12 members bringing together lived experience, expertise and diverse characteristics.
• Further information is available at The Timms Review – GOV.UK.

source: GOV