Earlier this month, the Minister for Social Security and Disabilities, Sir Stephen Timms confirmed that the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) does “not intend to publish a response to the previous Government’s consultation”, effectively kicking the prospect of swapping Personal Independence Payment (PIP) cash for vouchers or grants into the long grass. Sir Stephen gave the written response to Lib Dems Chief Whip Wendy Chamberlain, who asked if the DWP planned to respond to the consultation, published by the then Conservative government. Now, in another written statement , the DWP Minister has confirmed that the Department is “exploring potential changes to modernise the PIP service to improve claimants’ experience and trust in our services and decisions”.
He added that details of any changes to PIP will be set out “in due course”. Labour MP Charlotte Nichols had asked the DWP what progress has been made on “reviewing the fairness of PIP assessments ”. On October 25, Sir Stephen replied that the DWP is “not currently undertaking” any such review.
He continued; “PIP is designed to treat all claimants fairly, focusing on the needs arising from a long-term health condition or disability, rather than the condition itself. “Individuals can be impacted by their health conditions in different ways, so the PIP assessment considers the needs of each individual claimant against the assessment criteria set out in legislation, regardless of whether those n.