Update on the Timms Review of Personal Independence Payment (PIP)

The Timms PIP Review call for evidence

The Timms PIP Review call for evidence consultation closed on the 28 May. It got over 38,000 responses and focused on getting information on 4 themes: 

• the role and purpose of PIP eligibility
• fairness and equity
• the experience of claiming PIP
• changing context and impact. 

Our response was created with help from our PIP Review Reference Group (RRG), a group of 15 people with Parkinson’s or carers. All with experience of claiming PIP. Read our full response (PDF, 415 KB).  

We urged the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) to:

• adopt the Social Security Scotland Adult Disability Payment (ADP) model
• scrap reassessments for people with Parkinson’s on higher rates of PIP
• make lifetime awards (that can’t be reduced) for people not yet on the highest possible amount of PIP, with only light touch reviews
• work with us to provide assessors with specific training on Parkinson’s
• revise the PIP criteria to better capture the reality of living with a complex, unpredictable condition like Parkinson’s.

A summary of the findings will be included in the government's upcoming interim report. This is expected to be published by 17 July 2026. 

Our meeting with the MS Society 

We held an All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) meeting with the MS Society to discuss PIP. 

APPGs are composed of parliamentarians who have a shared interest in a particular topic. 

The Minister, Sir Stephen Timms MP, attended the meeting to hear from 2 people with Parkinson’s and 1 person with MS, who shared the reality of trying to claim PIP.  

One of those people, Kristine, said: 

“I shared with the minister how exhausting it is to repeatedly prove the impact of a progressive, incurable condition and why assessments must better reflect the reality of living with Parkinson’s safely, reliably and consistently. Meaningful reform would reduce unnecessary reassessments and place greater value on medical evidence and lived experience.

“I left the meeting encouraged that our experiences were being listened to and I remain determined to keep pushing for a system that treats people with Parkinson’s with dignity, fairness and understanding.”

We then shared clear solutions to fix PIP for people with Parkinson’s. 

The minister responded by suggesting:

• the Review would have to ‘consider the value’ of reassessments of people with progressive, incurable conditions
• different types of conditions might be treated differently
• the current assessment charge doesn’t reflect its actual cost, and new assessments should ‘do this better’
• audio recordings of assessments will be the default, and rolled out to all assessment providers.

What next?

On 22 June, our RRG members will meet the minister and the entire Timms PIP Review Steering Group to talk about PIP and Parkinson’s. At the meeting, our RRG members will share their difficulties with claiming PIP. 

Future workshops 

The DWP is asking organisations to run a ‘PIP Workshop in a Box,’ to provide more insights on PIP and how it can be improved. These are an opportunity for people living with Parkinson’s, who receive PIP or have applied in the last 3 years, to share their views. We’ll be holding 2 online workshops: 

• Wednesday 1 July, 5.30-7:30pm. Book your place on the webinar. 
• Thursday 2 July, 11am-1pm. Book your place on the webinar. 

Or run your own ‘PIP Workshop in a Box.’ Download the materials you need on the GOV.UK website. All insights from these sessions need to be submitted to the DWP by 17 July. 

David Newbold, Director of Community at Parkinson’s UK, said:

"We are making sure that the voice of people with Parkinson's is heard loud and clear by the government's PIP Review Steering Group. 

"Through workshops with the community we gathered example after example of where PIP is not working for people with Parkinson's. And people with the condition also shared their experiences directly with the minister and officials at the recent joint Parliamentary meeting.”

If you have questions about the Review, contact the Policy team at [email protected] or call 020 7963 9349.