UK DWP reviews Personal Independence Payments amid calls to consider means‑testing and diabetes eligibility

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is conducting the Timms Review of Personal Independence Payments (PIP), a non‑means‑tested benefit that supports around four million claimants with long‑term health conditions. The review, co‑led by Minister Sir Stephen Timms, is set to deliver an interim report by 17 July and a final report by the end of the year, with the government signalling it will not support a “big, increasing cost package”.

Parliamentary questions have highlighted pressure to examine means‑testing PIP and to consider specific conditions such as Type 1 Diabetes. A petition urging the DWP to amend eligibility criteria for Type 1 Diabetes has gathered over 16,000 signatures. The DWP maintains that PIP eligibility is assessed on functional impact rather than diagnosis, but it acknowledges the review will consider how the benefit can remain fair and sustainable.