Minister for Social Security and Disability (Sir ): I am pleased to make this
statement in relation to the Timms Review of Personal
Independence Payment (PIP).
The Government has today published the Interim Report on behalf
of the steering group for the Timms Review. The Report is
available on GOV.UK and copies will be placed in the Libraries of
both Houses.
The Government launched the Timms Review to help ensure PIP is
fair and fit for the future in a changing world and helps support
disabled people to achieve better health, higher living standards
and greater independence including through employment. The Terms
of Reference set out that the Review must operate within the
Office for Budget Responsibility's projections for future PIP
expenditure to ensure it is there to support generations to come.
The Review is being co-produced with disabled people and other
experts. The Review is led by me and two co-chairs, Sharon
Brennan and Dr Clenton Farquharson CBE, to whom I am very
grateful, and a steering group of 12 people, almost all disabled
people, who together are bringing their expertise and experience
to shape and lead the work. This is the first time the UK
Government has undertaken co-production at this scale, and I am
grateful for the commitment and passion of this group.
No single group can be representative of the full diversity of
disabled people's experiences. That is why the steering group has
set up a wide range of evidence-gathering and engagement
opportunities, to provide varied, accessible options for people
with differing lived and learned experiences to get involved, and
to ensure that the group can hear from as many different
perspectives as possible.
The publication of the Interim Report today marks a significant
milestone for the Review and reflects its commitment to openness
and transparency. The Report has been published on GOV.UK in a
range of accessible versions including braille, British Sign
Language, audio, Easy Read, Welsh, Large Print and web-accessible
formats.
The Report does not contain recommendations or government policy;
it provides an account of the work of the Review to date and
explains how the Review is being co-produced with people with
lived and learned experience. It sets out the evidence considered
so far and presents the Review's emerging themes. It also
outlines next steps for the Review including how, over the coming
months, it will continue its evidence and engagement programme to
test emerging thinking and develop recommendations that reflect
the steering group's ambitions for radical reform, and are
credible, deliverable and grounded in lived and learned
experience.
The Report delivers a clear message from the steering group,
based on the evidence it has seen and heard so far: while PIP is
widely valued as a benefit, it is no longer fit for purpose.
The Report explains that PIP is often described as fundamental to
managing the practical realities of a disability, from enabling
access to transport and work, to supporting everyday activities.
However, the experience of claiming PIP is often described as
stressful and dehumanising. For some people, the current design
and delivery of PIP can create barriers to participation,
including work, community life and everyday activities, rather
than supporting independence and participation as intended.
The Report is published alongside the findings from the Call for
Evidence which received over 38,000 responses from disabled
people, organisations that represent them, carers, clinicians,
experts, Members of Parliament and other stakeholders. An
existing evidence pack compiled by the DWP, which was provided to
the steering group as a starting point for further evidence
gathering, is also published. Neither of these are meant to act
as a single source of the truth but are shared as part of the
Review's commitment to openness and transparency.
As well as sincere thanks to the steering group for their
commitment to this work, I would also like to thank everyone who
has contributed their time, evidence and experience to the Review
so far. The Review remains committed to ensuring disabled
people's voices are central to this work as it looks ahead to
developing, testing and refining its final recommendations which
are to be submitted to the Secretary of State in the autumn.
I look forward to updating the House on the progress of this
crucial work.
