The Timms Review: how PIP could change (with calculator)

Q: What did the July 2026 interim report say?

Its central finding is that PIP 'is not working' for claimants, and that the points-based assessment copes badly with fluctuating and less visible conditions, especially mental health. Further evidence-gathering runs through late summer 2026, including a large representative survey of disabled people covering independent living, take-up and equity.

The Timms Review: how PIP could change — and what you can get today

The review of Personal Independence Payment published its interim report in July 2026, and its direction is unmistakable: the points-based assessment "is not working". With 3.8 million people on PIP and the welfare bill in every fiscal debate, what comes next matters to millions of households. Here's what's on the table, the timeline — and a calculator for what the current rates pay.

Status: Review under way — reports autumn 2026 Region: England & Wales Party: Labour (in government) From: Interim report, 9 July 2026

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What's happening

The Timms Review — co-chaired by DWP minister Sir Stephen Timms and co-produced with disabled people and disability organisations — is the government's second attempt at PIP reform, after its 2025 plan to tighten eligibility (the "four-point rule") was dropped following a backbench revolt. The review's interim report, published 9 July 2026, draws on more than 38,000 responses to its call for evidence. Its key findings so far:

"PIP is not working" — for claimants or for the system's own goals.
The points-based assessment fits modern claims badly. A rising share of claims involve fluctuating, less visible conditions — particularly mental health — that a snapshot points test handles poorly.
More evidence is coming: a large representative survey of working-age disabled people through late summer 2026, on independent living, take-up and equity.

The review reports to the Work and Pensions Secretary by autumn 2026 — landing in the same window as the Autumn Budget, where the welfare bill is already a central pressure. The incoming Prime Minister has said he wants to reduce welfare spending while committing to co-produced reform.

What PIP pays today (2026/27)

PIP is tax-free, not means-tested, and paid whether you're in or out of work. Rates rose 3.8% in April 2026:

Daily living component: £76.70 a week (standard) or £114.60 (enhanced).
Mobility component: £30.30 a week (standard) or £80.00 (enhanced).
Maximum award: £194.60 a week — about £10,119 a year.

The case for reform

Claim volumes and spending have grown far faster than forecast; the assessment generates high appeal rates, and a majority of appealed decisions are overturned — a sign the test measures the wrong things.
Fluctuating conditions are penalised: someone who can perform a task on assessment day may be unable to most days.
Co-production gives any change more legitimacy than the abandoned 2025 approach.

The case against / the risks

Disability groups fear the review will be used as cover for spending cuts once it reaches the Treasury — the 2025 episode showed how quickly "reform" becomes "savings".
Replacing the points system means re-assessing millions of existing claims; every transition of this kind (DLA→PIP, legacy benefits→UC) has produced hardship cases.
No replacement design has been published yet, so claimants face months of uncertainty.

Where the parties stand

Labour commissioned the review and will respond to it in government. The Conservatives say the welfare bill must fall further and faster. Reform UK has pledged big welfare savings as part of its fiscal plan. The Greens and Lib Dems opposed the 2025 eligibility cuts and back a co-produced settlement.

Sources & further reading

GOV.UK — The Timms Review: co-chair update, July 2026 — the interim report.
Hansard, 9 July 2026 — the Commons statement and debate.
CPAG — running analysis of health and disability benefit reform.
GOV.UK — PIP — eligibility and how to claim.

Figures are from public material and may change. Not financial, legal or tax advice.

Frequently asked questions

What is the Timms Review?

A review of the Personal Independence Payment assessment, co-produced with disabled people and disability organisations and co-chaired by DWP minister Sir Stephen Timms. It was set up after the government dropped its proposed PIP eligibility cuts in 2025. An interim report was published in July 2026, drawing on over 38,000 responses; the review reports to the Work and Pensions Secretary by autumn 2026.

What did the July 2026 interim report say?

Its central finding is that PIP "is not working" for claimants, and that the points-based assessment copes badly with fluctuating and less visible conditions, especially mental health. Further evidence-gathering runs through late summer 2026, including a large representative survey of disabled people covering independent living, take-up and equity.

How much is PIP in 2026/27?

After the 3.8% April 2026 uprating: daily living component £76.70 (standard) or £114.60 (enhanced) a week; mobility component £30.30 (standard) or £80.00 (enhanced) a week. The maximum award — enhanced on both — is £194.60 a week, about £10,119 a year. PIP is tax-free and not means-tested.

Is PIP being cut?

No cut is in force or legislated. The 2025 proposal to tighten eligibility (the "four-point rule") was dropped after a backbench revolt, and the Timms Review was commissioned instead. Any changes that come out of the review would be announced by the government — most likely from autumn 2026 — and this page will be updated.

Who is Stephen Timms?

Sir Stephen Timms is the DWP minister for social security and disability who co-chairs the PIP review that bears his name. The review is co-produced with disabled people and disability organisations, and its interim report — published 9 July 2026, drawing on more than 38,000 responses — concluded the current PIP assessment "is not working".