From April, the duration of awards for new PIP claims will be extended for most claimants aged 25 and over to a minimum of three years, according to the UK Government. This change is designed to reduce the backlog of Work Capability Assessments (WCA) and free up health professionals to conduct more face-to-face assessments and deliver additional WCA reassessments, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) said. Currently, the period between PIP award reviews can be as brief as nine months, though the majority of claimants see no change to their award at review.
At subsequent reviews, the duration will increase to five years provided claimants remain eligible, the UK Government stated. The government said it is implementing these changes and reforming the broken welfare system it inherited by extending the intervals between assessments to verify whether a claimant's condition still qualifies them for PIP. The reforms will see the UK Government honour a pledge made in the Pathways to Work Green Paper to boost face-to-face assessments, which were suspended in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Contracts agreed by the previous administration require 80 per cent of assessments to be conducted virtually, but the proportion of face-to-face assessments will be increased. For PIP, face-to-face assessments will rise from 6 per cent in 2024, or 57,000 assessments, to 30 per cent of all assessments. These operational adjustments are entirely separate from the Timms Review, multiple reports indicate.
The new April measure will come into effect alongside modifications to Universal Credit that narrow the gap between what people receive for being unemployed compared to long-term sickness, the UK Government said. 9 billion by the end of 2030/31 and come alongside employment support targeted at sick or disabled people, including Connect to Work and the redeployment of 1,000 work coaches.