The DWP will restart transfers of adult Disability Living Allowance (DLA) claimants to Personal Independence Payment (PIP), affecting about 153,000 people who previously held lifetime DLA awards. A trial review of 3,000 random cases will begin in September before a wider rollout. Campaigners and an interim government review describe PIP assessments as 'dehumanising' and warn claimants should respond to DWP contact to avoid losing benefits. Final reform recommendations are expected in the autumn but will not delay transfers.
153,000 Long-Standing Adult DLA Claimants Face PIP Reassessments as DWP Restarts Transfers
More than 150,000 vulnerable claimants face losing benefits in DWP reassessment drive
Hundreds of thousands of disabled people who have held Disability Living Allowance (DLA) for many years will be asked to transfer to Personal Independence Payment (PIP) after the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) resumes its transfer programme. The move affects around 153,000 adult DLA claimants who were spared routine reviews because many received lifetime awards under DLA.
The adult DLA closed to new claims in 2013 when PIP replaced it for adults. The DWP began inviting existing adult DLA recipients to move to PIP in 2013 but paused the programme in 2020 because of the Covid-19 pandemic. The department says the transfer process will restart with a smaller trial before a wider rollout.
Around 153,000 adult DLA claimants will be moved to Pip, the DWP has said (Getty)
How the transfer will work
The DWP has said it will review a random sample of 3,000 cases from September to test and refine the transfer process. After that trial, remaining adult DLA claimants will be invited to claim PIP. Claimants who do not respond to the invitation or do not make a PIP claim risk losing their existing DLA entitlement.
Under PIP rules, claimants must complete a new application form and are likely to be asked to attend a health assessment to determine ongoing eligibility. For many people who held lifetime DLA awards, this will be the first reassessment they have faced in years.
The review into Poip is being led by disability minister Sir Stephen Timms (PA Archive)
Concerns from campaigners and government review
Sir Stephen Timms, the disability minister leading an official review of PIP, said assessments were often experienced as 'dehumanising', 'soul-destroying' and 'degrading'. The interim report also noted that claimants can be forced to disclose 'intimate details' that some feel are later misrepresented or dismissed.
Campaign groups warn the reassessments will cause anxiety and may put vulnerable people at risk of losing benefits they rely on. James Taylor, Director of Strategy at Scope, said the DWP must ensure claimants are not penalised if their essential extra costs rise and urged recipients to respond promptly when contacted by the department.
Timing and next steps
The review into PIP led by Sir Stephen Timms is expected to publish final recommendations in the autumn, and the review team has indicated it wants to make 'bold changes' to the system. However, ministers have confirmed those reforms will not delay the restart of transfers.
A DWP spokesperson said: 'The transfer of adult DLA claimants to PIP has been paused since 2020. A reassessment only occurs if a recipient reaches 16, reports a change in circumstances or voluntarily claims PIP. We are reviewing a random sample of 3,000 cases, and the findings will help determine any additional support needed when active transfers resume.'
Advice for claimants: Respond promptly if you receive correspondence from the DWP, keep records of correspondence, and seek support from a local welfare adviser or disability charity if you need help completing a claim or preparing for an assessment.
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