Richmond, Kingston &
West London M.E. Group

BENEFITS UPDATE - Autumn 2026

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PERSONAL INDEPENDENCE PAYMENT (PIP)

TIMMS REVIEW

The Timms review of PIP is a government evaluation of the benefit led by Sir Stephen Timms. Its interim report in July concluded that PIP was ‘no longer fit for purpose’ (Note the ‘no longer’ – with the implication that it once was!)

Dr Clenton Farquharson, co-chair of the Review, said: ‘What we have heard through this Review is that, while PIP is a lifeline for many people, the system too often fails to understand the reality of people’s lives. Disabled people have told us about a process that can feel stressful, dehumanising and hard to navigate, especially for people with fluctuating conditions, less visible or multiple conditions.’

See: PIP 'not fit for purpose'; Timms review interim report

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On 10 September the government released some preliminary recommendations (Timms review update September 2026). These made clear the intention that that PIP should remain a non-means-tested, largely cash-based benefit. Amongst the stated objectives are to simplify the process of application; to improve the way PIP assesses fluctuating conditions; to reduce unnecessary reviews; and to ensure that the people who need it have help to navigate the application process.

The DWP held 15 workshops in different parts of the country in September and early October. Each had a maximum of 20 participants (PIP claimants and other interested parties). These workshops, most of them in person, ran from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., admittedly with breaks, putting them out of the reach of the most severely affected claimants. It is not clear how the participants were selected. We wait to see what detail emerges.

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NOT HAPPY WITH YOUR PIP AWARD?  DO LODGE AN APPEAL

Statistics over the five years from January 2021 to December 2025 suggest that it is always worth lodging an appeal, especially in the case of a review (as opposed to a first application), if you are dissatisfied with the outcome of your assessment.

Before proceeding to appeal, you have to go through the process of mandatory reconsideration (MR), i.e. asking the DWP to look at their decision again. The success rate at MR over the five years was only 28%. But in the case of reviews, 37% of claimants unsuccessful at MR went on to lodge an appeal, and of these, 45% had their appeal ‘lapsed’, i.e. conceded by the DWP in the claimant’s favour, before it ever reached tribunal.

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The figures for first applications were less striking: 19% of appeals were lapsed before reaching tribunal – but still well worth a try! See PIP statistics to April 2026

 

EXTENSION OF PIP AWARDS

In December 2025, the DWP announced plans to reduce the frequency of PIP award reviews from April 2026. It seems likely that more than one million awards have been extended. This is good news for some – but if your needs have increased and you were hoping for a higher award on review, consider requesting a change of circumstances review (supersession).

 

PIP MOTABILITY SCHEME

From 1 July 2026, VAT applies to advance payments - the optional one-off top-up paid by customers who choose a more expensive vehicle - and insurance premium tax will apply to new leases. This change is stated to save the government £1 billion. The change does not apply to wheelchair accessible vehicles. See changes to motability scheme

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PIP UPPER TRIBUNAL (UT) DECISIONS

1. Preparing a meal  (PIP activity 1)

Michael Wood v Secretary of State for Work and Pensions  https://caselaw.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ukut/aac/2026/276

There has long been uncertainty as to whether difficulty moving around for the purposes of food preparation (e.g. walking to a cupboard to fetch ingredients), or moving around while carrying food (e.g. between a work surface and a cooker), would qualify the claimant for (additional) points. Alas, no: the UT found that ‘mobilising’, or ‘mobilising while carrying food’ are not part of the activity.

 

More helpfully:

2. LG v Secretary of State for Work and Pensions https://caselaw.nationalarchives.gov.uk/tna.9ncm6s87

The case shows the importance of questioning, if you are refused points on PIP activity X on grounds that if you can do Y, you must be able to do X, whether the capacities required for the two activities are in fact equivalent.

The case concerned an appellant with multiple health problems who had been refused PIP by the DWP and by a First-tier Tribunal (FtT) on grounds that his receipt of carer’s allowance and his ability to drive an automatic car were inconsistent with an award of PIP. The UT found these assumptions had been made without proper examination of the facts and remitted the appeal to be heard again by a different FtT.

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WORK CAPABILITY ASSESSMENT (WCA)

LARGE BACKLOGS

At 31 December 2025, there were 280,000 claimants awaiting a new assessment and 78,000 claimants awaiting a reassessment; it is not known how many of these had themselves requested a reassessment because of changed circumstances. See FOI2026/00584. At 26 January 2026, there were approximately 44,000 repeat WCAs that had been outstanding for more than a year. See FOI2026 05252

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‘SUBSTANTIAL RISK’ DECISIONS

When assessed for fitness for work via the WCA, you can qualify for the (contribution-related) ESA support group or for the health element of (means-tested) UC without satisfying the standard descriptors, on exceptional circumstances grounds. This means that there would be a substantial risk to your health if you prepared for work. In 2019/20, 33% of UC claimants who qualified for the health element did so by this means, but by 2025/6, this had fallen steadily to 11%. (See written question 3753 21/5/26) This change is probably not good news for people with ME, many of whom ‘passed’ the WCA on theses grounds.

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RECORDING OF HEALTH-RELATED ASSESSMENTS

The government has announced that from 29 June 2026, all face-to-face and telephone health assessments for disability and sickness benefits are being audio recorded.