The PIP process is systemically failing mad & disabled people
The interim findings from the Timms review confirm what we - young, mad and disabled people - have been saying for years: Personal Independence Payment (PIP) is not fit for purpose. It describes PIP assessments as "dehumanising", "degrading" and "stressful" - experiences many of us at Mad Youth Organise have unfortunately had to endure.
A Mad Youth Organise Campaign leader, Wiggy, describes their two-year PIP fight: "I was in desperate need of additional support and despite extensive evidence of my conditions - bipolar, BPD, C-PTSD, and fibromyalgia, my application was rejected twice. After twenty-two months and a tribunal hearing, I was finally awarded support the next day.
Throughout, I had to repeatedly expose the most vulnerable parts of myself, and in turn was dehumanised, discredited and treated with a disgusting lack of tact. The application for a benefit that was intended to help manage my mental health became responsible for several major mental health crises. I firmly believe the process is intentionally traumatic to discourage you from pursuing life-saving support. Because that’s exactly what it is – life-saving. And to deny life-saving care in any context is barbaric.”
The Timms review came about following a significant government climbdown last year on their proposed £5bn cuts to PIP. Due to tireless campaigning by disabled people and organisations the DWP removed PIP cuts from the welfare bill. As Mad Youth Organise we shared our stories across the country, putting our trauma on the line to expose the truth: PIP is not a luxury, it is a lifeline. That victory was earned through sustained pressure - not goodwill, and is indicative of the collective power we hold as a disabled movement.
We have cautious optimism to see the government finally recognise PIP as failing mad and disabled people, especially by recognising how assessments ignore the fluctuating nature of our conditions.
But do not mistake our madness for naivety. Being disabled and mentally ill in Britain is exhausting. Every day, we are fighting for survival in a system that is rigged against us. To us, the Timms review has always been about kicking the cuts down the road. It's clearly been stated that there is "no scope for changes that would increase spending". A few positive changes may emerge from the review, but we worry they will be packaged with further brutal cuts, wrapped in the tokenism of "lived experience" so the government can tick a box and say they asked us. But no amount of government spin can sugarcoat the truth: PIP is a vital lifeline, and making it harder to access it in any way is going to cost lives.
The government’s language of “co-production” is tokenistic and hollow. The Timms review was prepared with input from the DWP's ‘Independent Disability Advisory Panel’; just 10 disabled people, most securely employed within disability charities. At one point, participation required a gagging order. The steering group includes mainstream disability charities where corporate-aligned disabled leaders are viewed as more palatable to the government. True co-production must involve diverse disabled people's organisations, not just high-profile individuals but ordinary claimants who can speak to the day-to-day reality of relying on PIP.
The Timms review consulted only 10 disabled people—mostly charity staff—and demanded gagging orders. Mainstream charities dominate the steering group, favoring leaders the state finds "palatable."
Cutting welfare will not mean genuine savings. It will shift costs elsewhere, increasing pressure on an already over-stretched health care system. So many of us at Mad Youth Organise have been stuck on years-long waiting lists for mental health treatment or bounced around from service to service. Any changes to welfare benefits must go hand in hand with provision of properly funded mental health care.
The review conveniently avoids tackling the reality of what’s driving the youth mental health crisis in the first place. Harmful economic policies are pushing people into poverty. Unchecked corporate profiteers - from big tech and fossil fuel giants, to landlords and property developers - are eroding our quality of life. These are the systemic issues that are making young people sick.
The degrading process and inadequacy of PIP may be finally acknowledged, but our work is not done. Last year we already showed what collective resistance and solidarity looks like, and we will not allow further cuts to be repackaged as reform. Genuine change will come with true co-production, investment in genuine community-based care and real action to address the root causes of the mental health crisis.