Timms Interim Review say any PIP Reform must deal with Rising Claims Among Young People

The first full review of Personal Independence Payment since its 2013 introduction has found the benefit is “not fit for purpose,” with its interim report published today (9 July) pointing to a widening gap between disabled and non-disabled employment rates and a sharp rise in claims driven by younger people with mental health and neurodevelopmental conditions.

The Timms Review, co-chaired by Sir Stephen Timms, Sharon Brennan and Dr Clenton Farquharson CBE, drew on more than 38,000 responses to its call for evidence. The interim report does not make recommendations, those are due in the autumn, but it sets out early findings that will land squarely in FE and skills territory.

Among the most striking figures: the disability employment rate stood at 52.8% in 2025 against 82.5% for non-disabled people, a gap of 29.7 percentage points that early indications suggest is widening. Fewer than one in five PIP claimants are currently in employment. Yet separate research cited in the report found the large majority of health and disability benefit recipients who could conceivably work want to, with health and healthcare access, including NHS waiting lists, identified as the main barrier rather than a lack of motivation.

The report also flags a demographic shift with direct relevance to the NEET agenda. Increases in disability benefit prevalence have been sharpest among 16 to 19 year olds and those in their thirties, with autism and ADHD now dominating primary conditions among the youngest claimants. Reported mental health conditions have risen significantly since the pandemic. The steering group notes this Review is being conducted alongside the Milburn Review into the rise in young people not in education, employment or training, describing the two as sharing common ground on how systems can better support participation.

Respondents also described PIP’s assessment process as actively discouraging engagement with work, education or training: some said demonstrating improved function, through employment, volunteering or physical activity, risked triggering a reassessment or loss of award, creating a disincentive to test the water even where support might help someone move toward the labour market.

The report sits within a wider policy backdrop that will be familiar to FE providers: government plans to remove the Work Capability Assessment, folding disability-related financial support in Universal Credit into a single PIP-based gateway, and DWP’s Health Transformation Programme aimed at modernising the system. The steering group is also tracking related reviews, including Baroness Casey’s adult social care commission, Professor Peter Fonagy’s review of mental health, ADHD and autism, and Sir Charlie Mayfield’s Keep Britain Working review, as part of a joined-up look at what stops people participating in work and learning.

Final recommendations, due to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions this autumn, will need to sit within Office for Budget Responsibility spending projections, which forecast PIP expenditure rising from around £15 billion in 2020 to over £41 billion by 2031.

The full interim report and evidence pack are available on GOV.UK.