Overview
- The Department for Work and Pensions started a small-scale pilot on Wednesday that moves the task of awarding Personal Independence Payment (PIP) points from health assessors to DWP case managers.
- Reports differ on size: one local report says the scheme covers 150,000 claimants while the DWP says the initial target is about four percent of claimants, roughly 2,800–3,300 people a month.
- The DWP describes the trial as “re‑balancing roles” to let clinical assessors focus on gathering medical evidence while empowering case managers to apply judgement and make final decisions.
- Disability Rights UK, other charities and an internal whistleblower warn removing assessor recommendations risks losing medical nuance, producing less accurate or unfair outcomes and raising the likelihood of appeals and hardship.
- The pilot accompanies wider procedural changes announced by the DWP, including longer typical award review intervals and a push to increase face‑to‑face assessments from low recent levels toward a 30% target, while the formal Timms review of PIP continues.