The Department for Work and Pensions has been criticised by MPs over long waiting times for disability benefit claims to be processed, with some people waiting more than a year
Vulnerable individuals are enduring waits exceeding 12 months for disability benefit decisions, with the Commons spending watchdog condemning “unacceptably poor service levels”. The influential Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has raised alarm bells that such prolonged delays are forcing claimants into financial hardship and destitution.
A report released on Friday revealed the Department for Work and Pensions ( DWP ) has consistently missed its processing targets for new Personal Independence Payment ( PIP ) applications, whilst appearing to lack an “adequate plan” to tackle the backlog.
According to the committee’s findings, merely 51 per cent of applications were handled within the 75 working day target during 2024/25, falling drastically short of the department’s objective to process 75 per cent of fresh PIP claims within this timeframe.
The report declared: “It is unacceptable how long some PIP claimants are having to wait for their claims to be processed, which can cause them to get into debt and push them into poverty.
“The Department does not have an adequate plan to improve this in the short term.”
Committee MPs highlighted awareness of “constituents who have waited a long time for their claims to be processed, in some cases over a year”.
PIP provides financial support to cover additional living expenses for those living with long-term physical or mental health conditions or disabilities who struggle with particular everyday activities or mobility, reports the Daily Record. The committee observed that whilst the department insisted the experiences outlined “were not showing in its statistics”, the DWP “acknowledged that it was obviously a genuine situation that it needed to address”.
The DWP revealed it’s trialling a digital application system in select regions, which has slashed processing times by 20 days.
However, the committee highlighted that a previously announced DWP target to handle up to 20 per cent of PIP claims through the new online platform by 2026 has now been delayed until 2029 – a timeframe it described as “far too long for claimants to have to wait to get a better service”.
Amongst its proposals, the committee has urged the DWP to publish more comprehensive data on waiting periods, including the longest delay recorded during 2024/25.
A policy reversal in summer 2025 resulted in modifications to PIP eligibility being removed from the UK Government’s welfare bill, following concerns raised by rebellious Labour MPs about the consequences for disabled claimants.
An ongoing examination of PIP, overseen by social security and disability minister Sir Stephen Timms, is anticipated to conclude by autumn – though the UK Government has indicated an interim progress report will be released beforehand. Additional findings and recommendations from the committee highlighted concerns that the DWP “does not have assurance that shortening the first meeting a Universal Credit claimant has with a work coach to 30 minutes (from 50 minutes) will not adversely affect the support it provides”.
The committee urged the department to outline how it will assess the impact of this reduction.
The committee also pressed for improved transparency regarding job centre performance to “enable effective local scrutiny”. Whilst acknowledging the DWP’s plans to tackle risks linked to outdated IT systems, it warned that “implementing these plans over the next three years will be highly challenging”.
The report cautioned: “We are concerned that the department may not be able to deliver on schedule, and that unacceptably poor service levels could continue for some time.”
PAC chairman Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown stated the committee’s findings revealed that disability benefits claimants “may now expect a reliably poor service” from the DWP.
He continued: “Our committee received reassurances three years ago that improvements would have manifested by now; we are now told that they are a further three years off. This is simply not good enough for our constituents, who we know risk being pushed into debt or poverty by a department unresponsive to their needs.
“The summer of last year was consumed by debate around proposed changes to the benefits system, with Government insisting changes to PIP would be mitigated by support for disabled people and people with long-term conditions to get back into work.
“Our report exposes the incoherence with which Government made these arguments, while cutting the all-important support provided by work coaches which could help those same people access the labour market.
“Our focus will remain trained on what mitigating action will be taken by DWP on this issue, as well as its overall efforts to modernise its services by reducing its reliance on out-of-date technology. For claimants who rely upon this system’s proper functioning, this programme of transformation cannot come quickly enough.”
Evan John, a Policy Advisor at the national disability charity Sense, commented: “Benefits are a lifeline for many disabled people with complex needs, yet too many people face unacceptable service while trying to access support they urgently need.
“The Public Account Committee’s report is proof that, despite the impression sometimes given by the public debate, it is far from easy to access the benefits system. In fact, almost half of disabled people with complex needs said applying for benefits made their condition worse because of how difficult and exhausting the process is.
“The Department for Work and Pensions needs to work with disabled people to improve how benefit claims are handled, making sure everyone can access the support they are entitled to as easily and as quickly as possible. It’s also crucial the government does not cut disability benefits any further, which could push even more people into poverty.”
The DWP revealed that by the end of October, PIP claims were taking an average of 16 weeks to process.
A DWP spokesperson responded: “We’re fixing the broken welfare system we inherited by giving claimants the support they need to move into good, secure jobs and out of poverty.
“We’ve redeployed around 1,000 work coaches to help sick or disabled people who have been left behind, alongside the most ambitious employment reforms for a generation.
“These reforms are being delivered as we replace outdated systems through our ambitious £647 million modernisation programme.
“We always aim to make Pip award decisions as quickly as possible, and the Timms Review is looking at Pip as a whole to make sure it is fit and fair for the future.”
