The DWP will increase face-to-face PIP assessments from 6% to 30% starting April 2026, affecting hundreds of thousands of claimants
The Department for Work and Pensions ( DWP ) has informed hundreds of thousands of Personal Independence Payment ( PIP ) claimants that they must attend a face-to-face meeting. The DWP announced this week that it is significantly increasing the number of in-person assessments for benefits recipients.
This move follows criticism that too many assessments are being approved due to the high number of virtual meetings. Face-to-face assessments took a nosedive following the Covid pandemic, and the current Labour government has criticised contracts agreed by the Tories which stipulated that 80 percent of assessments had to be completed virtually.
The DWP has confirmed that the proportion of in-person assessments will be ramped up, with those for Personal Independence Payment (PIP) rising from six percent in 2024 (57,000) to 30 percent of all assessments, and the Work Capability Assessment (WCA) from 13 percent in 2024 (74,000) to 30 percent.
Additionally, the time between assessments to verify if a claimant’s condition still qualifies them for PIP will be extended. This, the DWP says, will free up health professionals to conduct more face-to-face assessments and deliver more WCA reassessments.
It emphasised that reassessments play a crucial role in considering how changes in health conditions and disabilities affect people over time, reports Wales Online.
In total, the DWP claims these reform measures will deliver savings of £1.9 billion to UK taxpayers by the close of 2030/31, running parallel to employment initiatives targeting sick or disabled individuals, including Connect to Work and the redeployment of 1,000 work coaches.
Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden declared: “We’re committed to reforming the welfare system we inherited, which for too long has written off millions as too sick to work.
“That is why we are ramping up the number of assessments we do face-to-face and taking action to tackle the inherited backlog of people waiting for a Work Capability Assessment.
“These reforms will allow us to save £1.9 billion, creating a welfare state that supports those who need it while helping people into work and delivering fairness to the taxpayer.”
At present, award review intervals can be as brief as nine months, with most claimants seeing no alteration to their award upon review.
This will be stretched for most PIP recipients aged 25 and above to a minimum three-year period for fresh claims, extending to five years at their subsequent review should they maintain their entitlement.
These operational adjustments stand apart from the Timms Review, which will examine PIP’s function, assessment process and criteria in supporting disabled people towards improved health, enhanced living standards and greater independence.
The proposed changes are set to roll out from April 2026, in tandem with alterations to Universal Credit that aim to reduce the disparity between benefits received for unemployment and long-term sickness.
These steps form part of a broader strategy to Get Britain Working through the most ambitious employment reforms seen in a generation. Additionally, the Connect to Work programme is poised to offer bespoke support, with a goal of helping 300,000 individuals who are sick or disabled secure employment by the end of the parliament’s term.
