The Short Answer
The Timms Review of PIP has not published its final report; the co-chairs said on 9 September 2026 that it will follow "later this autumn". DWP has not announced a publication date. The review is testing 14 emerging recommendations with disabled people in September and October 2026. Nothing has changed for PIP claims: the activities, descriptors and points thresholds stay as they are until the government accepts a recommendation and changes the regulations.
What this means for your payments
- Who is affected: No one yet. The emerging recommendations are not final and apply to no current award.
- What changes to your money or your payment date: No change to payments. PIP is paid at the 2026/27 rates on the current points.
- From when: Nothing changes unless regulations are made. No date has been announced.
- What you need to do: Nothing.
This page is developing. The final report has not been published, and this page will be updated when it is.
The key facts on the Timms Review, each with its source and the date it was checked:
| Fact | Figure | Source | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Final report | Not yet published; due "later this autumn" | Co-chair update, 9 Sep 2026 | 30/09/2026 |
| Review launched | 30 October 2025, with updated terms of reference | GOV.UK | 30/09/2026 |
| Call for evidence | 19 March to 28 May 2026; more than 38,000 responses | DWP press release, 9 Jul 2026 | 30/09/2026 |
| Emerging recommendations | 14 improvements to the current benefit | Co-chair update annex, 9 Sep 2026 | 30/09/2026 |
| Shaping recommendations workshops | 15, in September and October 2026 | DWP press release, 12 Aug 2026 | 30/09/2026 |
Last checked:
What Is the Timms Review?
The Timms Review is the first full review of PIP since the benefit began in 2013, set up to make sure PIP "is fair and fit for the future". Sir Stephen Timms MP, Minister for Social Security and Disability, leads the review with co-chairs Sharon Brennan and Dr Clenton Farquharson CBE. The review reports to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, who makes the final decisions.
The terms of reference, updated on 30 October 2025, set 5 areas of scope:
- The role of PIP as the future single gateway to health-related and disability benefits
- The assessment criteria, including activities, descriptors and points, for both daily living and mobility
- Whether other evidence should sit alongside the functional assessment
- How the PIP assessment could give fair access to support across the benefits system
- What role the assessment could play in connecting people to wider support
Last checked:
The terms of reference also state that the review "will operate within the OBR's projections for future PIP expenditure", and that it will consider how recommendations "might be applied to reassessments for people already claiming PIP". PIP Reform Proposals lists earlier proposals for PIP with their status.
Where Is the Review Now?
The Timms Review is in its third phase, testing and refining recommendations, with the final report due "later this autumn" and no date set. The interim report sets 3 phases: exploring evidence in spring, developing recommendations in summer, and testing them in autumn.
| Stage | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Terms of reference updated and review launched | 30 October 2025 | Done |
| Co-chairs appointed | October 2025 | Done |
| 12-member steering group appointed | January 2026 | Done |
| Call for evidence | 19 March to 28 May 2026 | Closed, more than 38,000 responses |
| Interim report | 9 July 2026 | Published, no recommendations |
| Quantitative survey | Closed 17 August 2026 | About 2,000 responses, analysis under way |
| Emerging recommendations | 9 September 2026 | Published, "not our final recommendations" |
| Shaping recommendations workshops | From 15 September 2026 | Running in September and October |
| Final report | Autumn 2026 | Not published; no date announced |
Last checked:
PIP Changes in 2026/27 lists the changes already made to PIP in 2026, none of them from the review.
How Is the Review Being Co-Produced?
The Timms Review is run by a 15-member steering group that shares power: the 3 co-chairs and 12 members appointed in January 2026 through fair and open competition. The interim report states that the vast majority of the steering group are disabled.
Nearly 4,000 people registered to join the shaping recommendations workshops. DWP's press release of 12 August 2026 states that participants were selected at random, with gaps filled to balance characteristics. Roundtables with disabled people's organisations and charities run alongside the workshops.
Last checked:
What Did the Co-Chairs Publish in September 2026?
On 9 September 2026 the Timms Review co-chairs published emerging recommendations, stating: "These are not our final recommendations." The annex groups 14 proposed improvements to the current benefit into 3 groups, and sets out principles for a reformed benefit in 4 more groups.
| Annex group | What it proposes | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Experience of applying and receiving PIP | Fewer award reviews for lifelong or degenerative conditions, a clearer PIP2 form, better letters, reasonable adjustments, advocacy | Emerging, not final |
| Assessments and decision making | A decision framework, learning from challenges, better use of evidence, a review of the 28-day hospital rule, fluctuating conditions, more face-to-face assessments | Emerging, not final |
| Foundation for a future benefit | Digital services with offline alternatives, better data on who applies | Emerging, not final |
| Principles for a reformed benefit | Cash as the foundation, non-means-tested, different assessment pathways, a single digital profile with permission | Principles, not final |
Last checked:
Is There a Proposed PIP Triage Call?
No published Timms Review document proposes a "triage call"; the nearest official wording is a principle of "a light-touch initial assessment". The September annex says that assessment would begin "understanding a person's circumstances" and direct them "to the most appropriate assessment pathway". It is a principle for a reformed benefit, not a final recommendation.
Last checked:
What the Review Cannot Change Without New Law
The Timms Review cannot change a PIP award by itself: the activities, descriptors and points thresholds are set in the PIP Regulations 2013, and changing them needs new regulations. Regulations 5 and 6 of S.I. 2013/377 set the thresholds at 8 points and 12 points in each component. Section 94 of the Welfare Reform Act 2012 requires PIP regulations to be made by statutory instrument laid before Parliament.
The terms of reference state that decisions flowing from the review "could take the form of changes to primary legislation, secondary legislation, as well as a range of potential non-legislative actions". How the current points system works is set out in PIP descriptors, and how reviews work today in PIP Reviews.
Last checked:
What It Means for Your Money Today
PIP is paid at the 2026/27 rates under the current rules, and nothing published by the Timms Review changes an award. The rates hub shows what each rate pays a week, and you can see pip points explained activity by activity. You can also check PIP news for other updates.
Last checked: