The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has faced strong criticism over its planned changes to Personal Independence Payment (PIP) reviews, which exclude young claimants under the age of 25. Under the new proposal, PIP award reviews will be spaced out with a minimum three-year gap for new claims, and if entitlement continues, the next review will occur after five years.
However, disability campaigners argue that excluding young people from this extended review period is both unfair and detrimental. Harriet Edwards, director of influencing at the national disability charity Sense, told the Independent, “It is wrong and damaging for the DWP to link PIP with employment prospects. PIP is not an employment benefit; it exists to help cover the significant additional costs of living with a disability, such as inaccessible public transport and higher energy bills.”
Edwards added that their research shows almost half of disabled people under 25 with complex needs rely on PIP to access employment opportunities. “Benefits like PIP provide a vital lifeline and social inclusion for many disabled young adults," she said. “Reducing the number of assessments is a positive move, but it must apply equally to all claimants, young and old alike.”
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Abdi Mohamed, head of policy at disability equality charity Scope, also expressed concern about the move. “PIP assessments can be highly stressful and degrading. Young disabled people should not be penalised or excluded from extended review periods simply because of their age,” he said. Mohamed emphasized that the higher costs faced by disabled individuals, including those under 25, make PIP a crucial support that enables them to participate more fully in society and employment.
In response, a DWP spokesperson defended the policy, stating: “Claimants aged 16-24 are more likely to experience improvements in their condition and functional capacity compared to the broader PIP population. Excluding under 25s from these changes is intended to avoid leaving young people on PIP longer than necessary.”
The spokesperson added that extending the interval between reviews will help reduce the assessment backlog and ease the burden on health professionals, while also minimizing unnecessary stress for claimants whose conditions rarely change at each review.