The Department for Work and Pensions has been urged to introduce means-testing for Personal Independence Payment (PIP) as part of the Timms Review, amid warnings that rising costs will add an extra £5 billion to the welfare budget this year.
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has faced calls to explore means-testing for Personal Independence Payment (PIP) as part of the Timms Review.
During DWP oral questions in the House of Commons on Monday, Conservative MP Joy Morrissey questioned whether eligibility for the disability benefit should factor in a claimant’s income, suggesting escalating expenditure warrants examination of the matter.
PIP is a non-means-tested benefit, meaning entitlement depends on how a person’s long-term health condition or disability impacts their daily living and mobility rather than their income, savings or employment status. A successful claim for PIP is worth between £30.30 and £194.60 a week and as payments are made in arrears every four weeks, this amounts to awards of between £121.20 and £778.40.
The Beaconsfield MP said: “The increased PIP costs are expected to add an extra £5 billion to the welfare budget this year. As the TaxPayers’ Alliance has highlighted, the number of households earning over £100,000 and getting PIP has doubled to 200,000 claimants.
“Will the Minister (Sir Stephen Timms) make an assessment of the potential merits of means-testing PIP to ensure targeted support?”
In response, Disability and Social Security Minister Sir Stephen Timms suggested the UK Government had no intention of altering the long-established principle that PIP should not be determined by a person’s financial circumstances
, reports the Daily Record. He told MPs: “Together with disabled people, we are co-producing a review of PIP to ensure that it is fair and fit for the future.
“The review’s terms of reference reflect the view of successive Governments that PIP should be a non-means-tested cash benefit for people both in and out of work, because anybody can incur additional costs as a result of long-term ill health or disability.”
The UK Government announced the independent review of PIP earlier this year after deciding to scrap planned reforms that would have tightened eligibility criteria for the benefit.
The review is being conducted alongside disabled people, charities and other stakeholders, and is anticipated to examine how the benefit can better serve claimants’ needs while ensuring its long-term sustainability.
The review is due to conclude by autumn, with an interim report expected before Parliament breaks for summer recess on July 16.
PIP currently provides additional financial support to more than 4 million people across England and Wales. In Scotland, Adult Disability Payment has replaced PIP.
It assists working-age adults who have a long-term physical or mental health condition or disability with the extra costs they may encounter due to their condition.
Unlike income-related benefits such as Universal Credit or Pension Credit, PIP is unaffected by a claimant’s earnings, savings or other financial circumstances. Instead, entitlements are determined by how an individual’s condition impacts their capacity to perform daily tasks and move about.

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