Our response to the Timms Review interim report into PIP

“When a young person is diagnosed with cancer, their focus should be on getting through treatment and not on fighting a complex PIP system that is supposed to support them, but too often causes more distress and is unnecessarily delayed.”

The Timms Review interim report (9 July) has outlined many fundamental issues with the Personal Independence Payment (PIP) system that Young Lives vs Cancer, and the young people with cancer and families we support, have been raising for many years. 

The interim report rightly recognises that PIP is a vital lifeline for disabled people, but also that the system is not fit for purpose and needs significant reform.  

PIP should provide stability and help young people with cancer overcome the barriers they face but instead, many describe a dehumanising process that forces them to repeatedly relive their “worst day” of treatment or recovery. Assessments often fail to reflect the realities of living with cancer as a young person, despite the significant impact a diagnosis and its treatment can have on daily life, preventing them from getting the support they need. 

Young Lives vs Cancer and the young people we support have been raising these concerns for a long time, and we’re pleased the Review’s co-production process has finally listened to disabled people and identified the same issues. Now they must be addressed. 

While the review acknowledges delays in accessing PIP, the scale of this problem needs much deeper investigation and acknowledgement. Our research shows that young people with cancer wait an average of 8 months after diagnosis before they receive their first PIP payment, despite the immediate impacts and additional costs of cancer like travel, accommodation, food, clothing, and household bills totalling an average of £700 every month. Whilst significant processing times play a role, a three-month waiting period to qualify for PIP is baked into the system where young people with cancer must “prove” their condition, despite clear medical evidence and facing the impacts of cancer immediately at diagnosis. Their need for support is immediate, with 64% facing additional cancer costs within the first month. 

This is why we believe that children and young people with cancer and their families should be entitled to access welfare benefits immediately following diagnosis and not be subject to a qualifying period, and that the application process should be simple, efficient, and streamlined, utilising medical evidence to quickly determine their eligibility. 

This interim report is a step in the right direction and confirms that PIP is there to support people with disabilities and conditions like cancer with the extra costs they face, helping them to live independently and overcome barriers that prevent them living the life they want to lead. 

As recommendations are being developed, the purpose of PIP must remain central, and the opportunity to build a system of support that acknowledges the different needs and realities of different disabled groups, that removes barriers and increases trust in the system must not be missed. The Review must also more deeply consider how the unnecessarily long waiting times faced by young people with cancer can be addressed. We hope to see a simplified system which better uses medical evidence to streamline the process. 

Young Lives vs Cancer will continue engaging with all aspects of the Timms Review as it progresses and are ready to work with the Review team and the Department for Work and Pensions to amplify the voices and experiences of young people with cancer, so that together, we can build a system of financial support that works for them. 

Our CEO Rachel Kirby-Rider says:

“For years, Young Lives vs Cancer, those we support, and our sector colleagues have been raising serious concerns about the way PIP works, so it’s encouraging to see the Timms Review listening to those experiences and recognising many of the same issues. We know from the young people with cancer and families we support that PIP is a vital lifeline, yet too often they face unnecessary barriers and a dehumanising process just to access the help they’re entitled to. 

When a young person is diagnosed with cancer, their focus should be on getting through treatment and not on fighting a complex PIP system that is supposed to support them, but too often causes more distress and is unnecessarily delayed. From the extra costs of travelling to hospital and higher energy bills, to the wider financial impact of a cancer diagnosis, their need for support is immediate and they shouldn’t have to wait for that support or prove over and over again that they have a need. 

A disability benefits system that works properly is about more than helping people meet extra costs. It is about social justice, fairness and dignity – ensuring disabled people can access the support they need, when they need it. We welcome the Timms Review’s recognition of these challenges and with a new Prime Minister soon to be in post, we urge the UK Government to use this opportunity to deliver meaningful reform that removes unnecessary barriers and ensures young people with cancer can focus on what matters most.” 

*Personal Independence Payment is a disability benefit for those aged 16 or over. Many of the issues with PIP are reflected in benefits for under 16s, like Disability Living Allowance (DLA). Young Lives vs Cancer believes that both benefits must be improved so all children and young people with cancer and their families can access the support they need, when they need it.