Further details about Labour’s review of Personal Independence Payments (PIP) have been revealed after the government’s climbdown over changes to the health-linked benefit in June. The review, led by veteran Labour MP Sir Stephen Timms, aims to approach the issue with consultation and collaboration, especially with disabled people and disability organizations.
What Happened
PIP, currently claimed by 3.7 million people, is designed to help individuals with extra costs incurred by living with an illness or disability. Labour’s initial proposals to adjust the assessment criteria for the benefit, making it more difficult to claim, faced fierce opposition from campaign groups and disabled people’s organizations. This led to over 100 Labour MPs threatening to vote against the government’s plan, and ministers backed down on the changes in late June.
The backlash focused on the lack of consultation with disabled people before pushing through the changes, with accusations that the legislation had been “rushed.” Sir Stephen Timms, who is now leading the review of PIP, confirmed that the review would be co-produced with disabled people and disability organizations, ensuring their voices are central to the process.
Approach to the Review
Speaking to the BBC’s Access All podcast, Sir Stephen emphasized that the review would be guided by the insights of disabled people and their representatives. “We are going to be taking a lead from disabled people and representatives of disabled people in this work over the next year or so,” he said. However, he noted that the group involved in the review would likely consist of a small team of around ten people, with public consultation following the review’s conclusion in Autumn 2026.
Financial Considerations and Future Proposals
While Sir Stephen confirmed that the review would not aim to deliver cuts to PIP, he noted that it would need to operate within the current spending projections. Labour ministers had initially planned to save around £5 billion from changes to welfare spending, with £4.1 billion expected to come from adjustments to PIP. With changes to the benefit no longer on the table, questions remain about how Labour will seek to find savings elsewhere.
Government’s U-Turn
Reflecting on the government’s forced U-turn over the planned changes to PIP, Sir Stephen said, “I think there’s been a lot of relief that that initial proposal is not being taken forward. I think people are pleased about that, and I understand why.” He further added, “What we’ve seen is an example of democracy doing what it’s supposed to do: people express their concern to their MPs, the MPs express those concerns in parliament, and the policy’s changed as a result.” He called the reversal a positive example that should be built upon as the review moves forward.
Closing Line
Labour’s review of PIP is set to be a significant step forward in ensuring that the voices of disabled people are heard and that any future changes to the benefit are made thoughtfully and transparently.
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