Recommendation 14

We pressed DWP on when we would see a marked improvement in the timeliness with which new PIP claims are processed.23 DWP pointed towards the Health Transformation Programme as its long-term solution to providing a modern and timely service for disabled customers. One of the big changes would be the introduction of case management to help PIP claimants through the process as, for example, people often did not know what evidence they needed to submit alongside their claim.24 DWP acknowledged, however, that improvement would be a “long journey” because the system was so complex and the scale of the transformation required was huge.25 DWP told us it expected to have the new health assessment and PIP application processes fully in place by 2029, but hoped customers would start to see some of the benefits before then.26 It highlighted that it was currently testing on a small scale an online application system for PIP, which could potentially speed up the start of the claim process.27 21 DCSA0001 22 Q 1 23 Q 2 24 Q 21 25 Qq 2, 23 26 Q 23 27 Q 2 10 Vulnerable customers and customers with additional or complex needs