A big test is being trialled by putting the end Personal Independence Payments decision in the hands of DWP staff rather than health workers
Minister of State for Social Security and Disability Sir Stephen Timms has given an update on a test on PIP rule changes(Image: Parliament TV)
Plans to make a massive change to decision-making for those applying for Personal Independence Payments will lessen the impact of health professionals and increase civil servant responsibility, according to reports. The Transformed Decision Making process is currently being trialled and the Department for Work and Pensions has given an update on plans to expand this.
But the Disability News Service has reported that the scheme could be rolled out across the nation before a detailed evaluation has taken place. It said it has seen documents showing that ministers are set to extend the Transformed Decision Making in Personal Independence Payment (TDM) pilot project this autumn, even though only early findings from the project will be available by then.
In recent Parliamentary questions answered by the DWP, ministers have said the change will put more emphasis on the DWP case managers to make the decision rather than Healthcare Professionals. The DWP is running a trial of a “transformed decision-making approach” for PIP as part of the Health Transformation Programme.
In answer to a written parliamentary question, Baroness Sherlock stated: “Transformed decision making aims to rebalance the decision-making process by refocusing Healthcare Professionals on providing clear, factual evidence, while reinforcing the role of DWP Case Managers to make the final decision using all available evidence.
“Healthcare Professionals will focus on assessing and recording clear, factual evidence about the functional impacts of a customer’s health condition or disability. They will no longer provide views on descriptor selection or award length.”
The initial phase of the trial involved around 1% of PIP assessments from 16 March 2026. This was expanded from 1 June 2026 in a second phase of testing including around 4% of PIP assessments nationally.
In a question Liberal Democrat Steve Darling asked Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Pat McFadden: “How many personal independence payment (PIP) claimants are included in the Transform Decision Making pilot, expressed as both a percentage and number.
Minister of State for Social Security and Disability Sir Stephen Timms replied: “DWP is running a small-scale trial of a transformed decision making approach within the Health Transformation Programme’s new Health Assessment Service, and we will evaluate the impacts. The initial phase of testing involved around 1% of PIP assessments from 16 March 2026. From 1 June 2026, we began a second phase of testing with around 4% of PIP assessments nationally. We expect the second phase of the test to involve approximately 2,800 to 3,300 PIP customers per month.”
And Mr Darling also asked about the oversight of the testing. Sir Stephen replied: “We began testing a transformed decision making approach on 16 March 2026 in postcodes comprising around 1% of all national PIP assessment volume. On 1 June 2026 we expanded this to around 4% of all PIP assessment volume. This is an operational change, which aims to reset and re-balance the decision-making process to free up assessment provider capacity and improve decision quality.
“The test forms part of the work of the Health Transformation Programme, which is a major government programme modernising the PIP service, and is therefore subject to programme governance.”
In answer to a written parliamentary question, Baroness Smith wrote in July: “Through our impact evaluation of the pilot, we will be exploring, where possible, whether there are differential outcomes by primary disabling condition. […]
“In addition to the impact evaluation, we are undertaking research with provider and DWP staff. This is to understand their experiences of undertaking assessments and making decisions under the changed approach. Our qualitative evaluation methods will include observations and interviews. We will continue to monitor decision making quality throughout the trial through established quality assurance processes.”
Lord Scriven also asked a question on people with learning difficulties. He asked: “What proportion of Personal Independence Payment (PIP) claims processed under the Transform Decision Making pilot involve claimants with a learning disability as their primary or secondary disabling condition; and how (1) the initial award rates, (2) award levels, and (3) mandatory reconsideration rates, for those claimants compare to non-learning disabled claimants with the same conditions processed under the standard PIP assessment route.”
In reply Baroness Sherlock said: “DWP is running a small-scale trial of a transformed decision making approach within the Health Transformation Programme’s new Health Assessment Service, and we will evaluate the impacts.
“The initial phase of testing involved around 1% of PIP assessments from 16 March 2026. From 1 June 2026, we began a second phase of testing with around 4% of PIP assessments nationally.
“We cannot predict the mix of claimants by condition at this small scale but, over the year to April 2026, fewer than one per cent of all PIP clearances were for claimants with a learning disability as their primary disabling condition. While the trial will provide information on award rates, levels and mandatory reconsiderations, given the likely small number of claimants with a learning disability that would go through the trial, comparisons with those going through the standard assessment route are unlikely to be meaningful.”