The UK Government’s Timms Review of Personal Independence Payment (PIP) has opened registration for disabled people and people with long-term health conditions to join their Shaping Recommendations Workshops, which they say are intended to give participants the chance to discuss, test and refine ideas being developed by the Review's steering group.
The workshops are an important opportunity for disabled people and people with long-term health conditions to share their real-life experiences, and it is essential that the views of people living with ME/CFS and/or Long Covid are heard wherever possible.
Please note: This blog was written with the help of AI and reviewed by the ME Association before publishing
Key points at a glance
- 15 workshops will be held across the UK during September and October. These will be a mix of in person and online.
- Each workshop will be a one-day event, running from 10am to 4pm with a maximum of 20 participants.
- Reasonable adjustments will be available to support accessibility. Participants can provide information about the adjustments they require when completing the registration form.
- Registration of interest opens on 12 August 2026 at 10am, and will close on 21 August 2026 at 5pm. Selected participants are expected to be notified by 4 September 2026.
- Participants who attend the full workshop will receive a one-off payment. For people who receive means tested benefits, please note that this payment will count as income. The Review also states that people can participate without receiving the payment, or request a lower payment – more information via the link below.
- Reasonable travel and other necessary expenses, such as the cost of a personal assistant, can also be reimbursed.
What is the Timms Review of PIP?
The Timms review of PIP began last summer, initiated by disability minister Stephen Timms, and the ME Association has been following it's progress closely.
As stated on the GOV UK website back in October 2025, “The government has launched the Timms Review to ensure that Personal Independence Payment (PIP) is fair and fit for the future in a changing world, and helps support disabled people to achieve better health, higher living standards and greater independence, including through employment.
PIP supports many people with the extra costs of a disability or long-term health condition, and the government is committed to ensuring it remains a non-means-tested cash benefit, there for people in and out of work. However, despite shifting trends in disability and long-term health conditions, as well as changes in wider society and the workplace, PIP has never been fully reviewed.
To ensure lived experience is at the heart of its work, the Review will be co-produced with disabled people, the organisations that represent them, carers, clinicians, experts, Members of Parliament and other stakeholders.”
The review opened calls for written evidence submissions from the public between March and the end of May 2026, calling on people to share their experience on PIP. They had over 38,000 submissions, and the Government shared their initial findings from this submitted evidence in July.
They have also run an engagement programme alongside this, enabling organisations to hold workshops to gather peoples experiences.
What are the Shaping Recommendations Workshops?
The workshops form part of the wider Timms Review of PIP. They are not primarily about identifying problems with the existing PIP system.
Instead, participants will be asked to give their views on the Review's emerging recommendations. They will have an opportunity to discuss whether proposed changes work in practice and help the steering group refine its thinking.
Who can register?
The workshops are primarily designed for:
- Disabled people.
- People with long-term health conditions.
- People who have experience of the PIP process.
- People participating in their personal capacity, rather than representing an organisation.
You do not need previous experience of government consultations or reviews to participate.
The Review expects more people to register than there are available places. Participants will therefore be selected through a process intended to create a broad and balanced group.
Where and when will the workshops take place?
There will be 15 workshops across the UK, with both face-to-face and online options.
How to register your interest
Anyone who wants to be considered for a workshop needs to complete the Timms Review's “About You” form.
Registration:
- Opens: Wednesday 12 August 2026 at 10am
- Closes: Friday 21 August 2026 at 5pm
- Expected notification date: 4 September 2026
The Review says reasonable adjustments will also be available during the application process.
Questions or requests for adjustments can be directed to: timmsreview.shapingrecommendations@dwp.gov.uk
Note: This article summarises information published by the UK Government at the time of publication. The workshop dates, arrangements and guidance should be checked against the official GOV.UK page before publication or sharing.
Further Information:
- ME Association: GOV UK shares interim report on Timms Review of PIP, calling current system ‘not fit for purpose’ | July 9, 2026
- ME Association: Press release: Have your say: PIP review launches engagement programme for disabled people to get involved | April 30, 2026
- ME Association: Timms review of Personal Independence Payment (PIP): Call for Evidence | March 19, 2026
- ME Association: Welfare reform round-up: new independent disability panel, applications opening soon | August 22, 2025
- ME Association: Welfare Reform: When Promises Clash with Practice: What Stephen Timms Didn’t Say About Co-Production | August 5, 2025
- GOV UK: The Timms Review | October 25, 2025
- Timms Review: register your interest in a shaping recommendations workshop | August 12, 2026