Personal Independence Payment: Autism and Learning Disability

(asked on 1st September 2026) - View Source

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking through the Timms Review of Personal Independence Payment (PIP) to assess whether the current PIP assessment process adequately reflects the needs and circumstances of claimants with autism and learning disabilities.


Answered by
Stephen Timms Portrait
Stephen Timms
Minister of State (Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government) (Equalities)
This question was answered on 11th September 2026

The Timms Review seeks to ensure that PIP is fair and fit for the future. The Review's terms of reference set out a broad scope to ensure that PIP effectively captures the impact of long-term health conditions and disabilities in the modern world.

The Review is being co-produced with disabled people, the organisations that represent them, and other experts. The steering group has shaped a programme of participation that brings together the full range of views and voices, including those with autism and learning disabilities.

The interim report of the Timms Review found that PIP as a benefit is no longer fit for purpose and is failing to keep pace with how disability, health and work have changed over the past decade.

The next phase of the Review is testing and refining recommendations for reform. The Review will report its recommendations to the Secretary of State in autumn.

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