UK MPs warn against cutting disability benefits during Timms Review

A cross-party committee of MPs has warned the UK government against using the upcoming Timms Review to reduce Personal Independence Payments (PIP). In a letter to Minister Sir Stephen Timms, Debbie Abrahams, chair of the Commons work and pensions committee, argued that cutting disability benefits could increase pressure on other public services, particularly NHS mental health provision.

The committee's previous findings suggested that PIP spending is linked to addressing rising ill health, financial insecurity, and the exclusion of disabled people from the workforce. Critics warn that reducing these payments could push individuals deeper into poverty and move them further from the labour market.

Concerns have been raised regarding the 2025 Pathways to Work Green Paper, with activists expressing anxiety that benefit reforms may be used as a route for spending cuts. While the government has committed to a 2026 consultation on PIP, there is significant pressure from disability organisations and backbenchers to ensure reforms focus on investment and holistic support rather than austerity.