Hundreds of thousands of disabled people in the UK with lifelong conditions are being repeatedly subjected to "pointless" Personal Independence Payment (PIP) reassessments, sparking widespread criticism and raising concerns about the effective use of public funds. A new study by anti-poverty charity Z2K reveals that despite official guidance from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), a significant proportion of claimants are being placed on fixed-term awards, necessitating frequent reviews.
The analysis highlights that 73% of individuals with learning disabilities, 86% of those with amputations, and 62% of claimants with cerebral palsy were found to be on these fixed-term awards. Similarly, 89% of people with multiple sclerosis and 61% with Parkinson's – conditions with minimal to no prospect of improvement – are undergoing these frequent reviews.
Samuel Thomas, senior policy adviser at Z2K, expressed shock at the high numbers of disabled people with unchanging conditions, such as permanent hearing loss or amputated limbs, being compelled to undergo unnecessary reviews. He stated that DWP guidance explicitly advises against frequent reassessments for those with lifelong and progressive conditions, yet the data clearly shows these rules are not being followed.
The inefficiency of the system is underscored by the fact that nearly 75% of all planned award reviews last year – accounting for over 500,000 reassessments – resulted in no alteration to the claimant's payments. Of those reviews that did lead to changes, 10% saw payments increase, while 16% resulted in a decrease or complete cessation of support.
The DWP currently allocates over £350 million annually to PIP assessment contracts, raising significant questions about the effective use of public funds. The introduction of fixed-term awards was intended to streamline the process and reduce costs, but Z2K's study suggests that this has not achieved its desired effect.
While a recent change to increase the default length of a fixed award from two to three years aims to reduce backlogs and costs, Z2K warns that it will only delay reassessments rather than prevent them. Thomas commented that the move acknowledges the system's wastefulness but fails to address the core issues, stating that individuals with lifelong disabilities will still be wrongly categorised as requiring frequent reviews.