Amend standards for PIP to clearly include type 1 diabetics

Type 1 diabetics do not usually qualify for PIP despite dealing with a dangerous condition 24 hours a day. We believe there is a general lack of understanding and education of Type 1 Diabetes which may affect PIP assessments.

People can be impacted by health conditions in different ways, so PIP uses a functional assessment to measure the impact of a person’s health condition or impairment on their day-to-day life rather than focusing solely on the health condition or impairment itself.

The assessment looks at an individual’s ability to carry out a series of key everyday activities which are fundamental to living an independent life, such as their ability to prepare, cook and eat food, dress and undress, make budgeting decisions, manage and monitor their health condition, engage with other people, and plan and follow journeys.

The PIP assessment criteria were developed in collaboration with independent specialists in health, social care & disability, including disabled people, to ensure they accurately assess an individual’s needs. Health conditions may be physical, sensory, mental, intellectual or cognitive, or any combination of these, and the assessment was designed to take a comprehensive approach to disability, reflecting the needs arising from the full range of conditions. The activities within the assessment consider not only the physical barriers to completion of those activities, but whether someone needs prompting or supervision to do them.

Health Professionals (HPs) who conduct PIP assessments are trained specialists in disability analysis, including how to assess the impacts of medical conditions on people’s day-to-day activities, as well as awareness training in a range of conditions, symptoms and disabilities. To support HPs in delivering informed assessments, HPs have access to a wide range of Core Training and Guidance Material (CTGM), which offer detailed clinical and functional information, including the potential risks and limitations of conditions such as Type 1 Diabetes.

We recognise that, since PIP was introduced, there have been shifting trends in health and disability, as well in the workplace and wider society. The Government launched the Timms Review, the first ever full review of PIP and its assessment are fair and fit for the future.

The Review is being co-produced with disabled people, the organisations that represent them and other experts so that a wide range of views and voices are heard. The Review’s steering group, almost all of whom are disabled, are looking at whether the current assessment effectively captures the impact of long-term health conditions in the modern world. The Review will report to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions in autumn, with an interim update in summer.

Department for Work and Pensions