Last chance to respond to government PIP review
3 mins read
Wednesday 27 May 2026
This advice applies in England, Northern Ireland and Wales. Read about Adult Disability Payment in Scotland.
We’re urging families with disabled children to share their experiences as part of the government’s independent review into Personal Independence Payment (PIP).
The deadline to respond to the review is this Thursday 29 May at 11.59pm.
The review is led by Minister for Social Security and Disability Sir Stephen Timms. It’s looking at how PIP works, who qualifies, and whether the current system is fair and effective for disabled people.
Contact has submitted evidence to the review highlighting serious concerns about the current PIP assessment process and the growing financial pressures facing families with disabled young people.
Why this matters for families
PIP helps disabled adults with the extra costs of disability, including transport, equipment, support needs and everyday living costs. It can also act as a gateway to other vital support, such carers benefits, Blue Badges and Motability vehicles.
Many families already face a significant financial cliff-edge when a disabled young person moves from childhood benefits into adulthood. So it is vital that PIP helps families meet the real extra costs of disability and supports disabled people to live ordinary lives with dignity, independence and security.
What we said in our submission
In our submission, we stressed that:
- PIP must remain a cash benefit.
- The current assessment process is causing distress and mistrust among claimants.
- The current system does not properly reflect the experiences of people with mental health conditions, learning disabilities, autism or fluctuating conditions.
- Families often experience inaccessible processes, poor communication and inaccurate assessments.
- Disabled people should not be demonised in public debate about claiming disability benefits.
“The process leaves families traumatised”
Families contacting our helpline regularly describe the PIP assessment process as exhausting, stressful and adversarial.
We submitted evidence to the review of parent carers reporting:
- Assessors who lack understanding of their child’s condition and their needs.
- Reports containing inaccuracies.
- Assessments failing to reflect fluctuating conditions or hidden disabilities.
- Severe anxiety linked to attending face to face assessments.
We also highlighted the extremely high success rate for PIP appeals, which shows the current system is not working effectively.
Contact’s calls for change
We are calling for:
- A more person-centred assessment process that properly reflects people’s real day-to-day experiences.
- Better recognition of mental health conditions, neurodiversity, fluctuating conditions and the impact of supervision and night-time care.
- Greater flexibility and accessibility in assessments, including giving claimants choice over face-to-face, telephone, video or paper-based assessments.
- Fewer unnecessary reassessments for people with lifelong conditions unlikely to improve.
- Improved training and understanding among assessors.
- More detailed and transparent decision-making.
- Properly funded advice and advocacy services to help families navigate the system.
- Stronger safeguards to ensure disabled people are treated with dignity and respect throughout the process.
The public narrative must stop framing disability benefits as a barrier to work. Many disabled young people rely on PIP to access education, training, volunteering and employment opportunities.
How can I respond?
You can respond to the consultation using the online form.
You can request alternative formats by emailing [email protected]. This includes web accessible PDF, large print, BSL, audio, and easy read.