The target-driven system to decide disabled people’s personal independence payments (PIP) is leaving staff “overwhelmed” and in tears, whistleblowers have revealed.
One ex-assessor claimed that there was pressure to reduce the number of PIP awards, which can be worth up to £800 a month.
Disabled benefits claimants are anxiously awaiting the prospect of reforms, as the Government considers a “radically different” system.
The subtle eye signals your dog may be sending you
Researchers have found that dogs blink more frequently when they see their owners doing so, which may mean that they are communicating more than just a need to momentarily close their eyes.
What did the study find?
Writing in the journal , Dr Chiara Canori from the University of Parma described how 35 different breeds were shown two videos with three people in them, one of them being their owner. In one video the humans blinked every three seconds and in the other they did not blink.
The researchers found that the dogs blinked more when the humans did, and this increased when shown their owner.
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What do the blinks mean?
Previous research has found that dogs turn on puppy eyes when humans look at them and can distinguish happy human faces from other expressions.
However, there may not be a huge amount of meaning behind dogs’ blinks. Canori said: “As of today… we cannot say that a dog deliberately blinks in order to convey a particular message. It may provide subtle feedback about attention or engagement.”
Blinking can be influenced by social context
Our study does not show that every time a dog blinks it is deliberately ‘saying’ something (…) What our work suggests is that this apparently simple and automatic behaviour can nevertheless be influenced by the social context
Dr Chiara Canori, University of parma
Downpours and thunderstorms will continue to bring the risk of flooding to parts of the UK on Wednesday and Thursday.
A yellow warning for thunderstorms is in place in large areas of the country from 3am until 10pm on Wednesday, then again from 6am until 10pm on Thursday.
Where does the warning cover?
The Met Office warning covers much of the Midlands, parts of northern, eastern and southern England as well as the far east of Wales.
A yellow warning means severe weather is possible and could cause travel disruption.
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Wednesday’s weather warning
Thursday’s weather warning
Rain to fall after prolonged drought
Many areas of the country have recently experienced drought, with the next few days likely to bring the wettest weather in many weeks.
- The punishing heat has made the ground hard, meaning the water cannot soak in and flash flooding is a real concern.
Scientists find ‘window of opportunity’ to start to cut dementia risk
A large new study of postmenopausal women in the UK has found that a common treatment for menopausal symptoms may significantly lower the risk of dementia.
What you need to know
The study, led by experts from the University of East Anglia and University of Exeter, found taking hormone replacement therapy (HRT) was associated with a 10 per cent reduced risk of all dementia and 16 per cent reduction in risk of Alzheimer’s disease specifically.
- The team discovered that starting treatment between the ages of 46-56 “conferred the greatest benefit”.
A closer look at the results of the study
The research analysed more than 183,000 postmenopausal women taking part in the UK Biobank study.
- An average 13-year follow-up found that almost 4,000 of them were diagnosed with dementia.
- After examining information on the dementia diagnoses, they found that those who started HRT between the ages of 46-50 had a 13 per cent reduced risk of dementia.
- Those who started taking HRT when they were aged 51-56 had a 23 per cent reduced risk.
- Women who took HRT after surgical menopause had a 26 per cent lower risk.
What else did the study find?
The study also found that women who naturally had lower exposure to oestrogen over their lifetime appeared to have a 16 per cent lower chance of dementia after taking HRT.
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Why nicotine vapes are still best chance to quit smoking
Smokers are more likely to quit their habit by using vapes compared to conventional methods such as nicotine gum and patches, according to a new study.
Quit rates are higher
The Cochrane Review examined 80 studies involving almost 30,000 people and found that quit rates were higher with vape use, with it leading to 61 per cent increased odds that a quit attempt would be successful after six months.
- That means that eight to 10 out of 100 people using vaping to quite smoking might succeed compared to six of 100 people using nicotine-replacement therapy.
Providing vapes can help
Researchers looked at behavioural support – offered through advice and counselling – and found that people who were also given nicotine vapes were more likely to quit.
The expert view
We have very strong evidence that regulated nicotine e-cigarettes are substantially less harmful than smoking. Based on the consistency of the findings here, it’s clear that they are a proven and viable option for people wishing to quit cigarettes
Dr Jamie Hartmann-Boyce, senior author of the review from University of Massachusetts Amherst
How shingles jab ‘could slash heart risks’
The shingles vaccine currently used by the NHS may slash the risk of heart failure, heart disease and stroke, according to a new study.
What you need to know
Shingles is a viral infection that causes a painful rash and the jab that protects against it – Shingrix – is available on the NHS for people aged 65-70, people aged 70-79 (as part of a catch-up program) and for those over 18 with a severely weakened immune system.
Experts say that if all over-60s had the jab, it could prevent tens of thousands of deaths.
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The study
The NHS switched to Shingrix from the former vaccine, Zostavax, three years ago. Researchers from the University of Oxford compared the risk of stroke, ischemic heart disease or heart failure between the two vaccines over seven years.
- They analysed data from more than 70,000 people and found that up to seven years after the jab, people who had Shingrix lived 9 per cent longer without developing a cardiovascular disease.
more on health from the i paper
Children’s eyesight is getting worse. This is what parents can do about it
The rise in short-sightedness is not directly caused by too much screen time, but a related change in children’s behaviour. Fortunately it can be reversed.
Dolly Parton – a life in pictures
Dolly Parton died on Tuesday at the age of 80. Tributes from around the world have honoured the country music superstar, who passed away following a “brief battle with cancer”.
The singer was best known for her genre-defining hits including “9 To 5”, “I Will Always Love You” and “Jolene”.
Born into a musical family in 1946
Dolly Rebecca Parton was born in 1946, the fourth of 12 children, into a poor farming family who lived in a one-bedroom cabin in Tennessee.
Her father, Robert Lee Parton, was a tobacco farmer. Parton spoke about her mother, Avie Lee, singing folk songs all the time, and her aunt played the guitar.
Country star’s unique style
During her teens, Parton began modelling herself on a local character known as the “town tramp”.
The lady wore bright red nail polish, low-cut tops and high heels – young Dolly thought she was beautiful.
A musical powerhouse
Despite being unable to read sheet music, Parton was proficient on several instruments including the banjo, harp, piano and saxophone. She had her first No 1 hit with the song “Joshua” in 1971.
- It was the theme song that Parton wrote for the 1980 movie 9 to 5 that fully propelled her to stardom.
A nearly 60-year marriage
Parton maintained a deeply committed, nearly 60-year marriage to Carl Dean until his death in 2025. “Carl and I spent many wonderful years together. Words can’t do justice to the love we shared,” Parton said when he died.
Dean remained out of the public eye, choosing to focus on his asphalt-paving business in Nashville. The couple had no children.
Parton’s life in pictures
At least 15 newborn babies die in Islamabad hospital fire
At least 15 infants were killed when a fire broke out at a state-run hospital in Pakistan’s capital Islamabad, triggered by a fault in air conditioning systems, local broadcaster Geo TV reported.
Here is everything we know about the incident so far.
What happened?
The blaze started at around 7am local time on Wednesday at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences on the third floor of the mother and child health ward.
The incident is among the deadliest hospital fires in recent years in the country, where government healthcare is subsidised but facilities are overburdened.
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The story in pictures
A closer look at the detail
- There were 16 newborns in the ward when the fire broke out, one of whom was rescued, Geo reported.
- Prime minister Shehbaz Sharif has directed authorities to conduct an immediate investigation, his office said.
- “Those responsible should be identified, and the strictest action should be taken,” Sharif’s office said.
Former PIP assessors backed the idea of overhauling the “rushed and superficial” system. However, politicians from the major parties do not understand the kind of changes that are needed, they told The i Paper.
Work and Pension Secretary Pat McFadden recently told MPs that the PIP review, led by his colleague Stephen Timms, could see spending on the disability benefit reduced.
The Labour minister has suggested the current PIP system is struggling to keep pace with a surge in diagnoses of conditions that barely registered when it was set up over a decade ago.
Reform UK and the Conservatives want a dramatically cut-back PIP system, promising to axe eligibility for many with mental health issues and neurodivergent conditions like ADHD and autism.
‘Government doesn’t know how to fix system’
Those who have worked on the front line of benefits claims think eligibility for certain conditions is a distraction. The focus of reform should be on creating an assessment system that is more humane and accurate, they argued.
Currently, PIP claimants who score eight points in questions about how well they can carry out everyday activities and get around receive the lower rate of the benefit, with 12 points or more leading to the higher rate.
Former PIP assessor James Merrell, who worked for one of the Department for Work and Pension’s (DWP) contract companies from 2023 to 2024, told The i Paper that he became frustrated by “unrealistic” targets before quitting.
The qualified nurse had to do three assessments a day. There was pressure from managers to minimise points in a bid to restrict the number of PIP awards given, Merrell claimed.
His reports would come back for revision from managers. “The expectation each time was that you had to reduce [points]. The pressure was to reduce [points] or not give an award.”
More time should be given to gather medical evidence, and there should be less reliance on face-to-face “snapshot” interviews that do not deal with fluctuating conditions very well, he said.
“If you get better decisions first time, then you don’t need to go through appeals and tribunals,” said Merrell, who called the current system “rushed and superficial”.
He added: “When people say the system is broken, I don’t disagree. But what will really change to fix it? I don’t think the Government really know what to do.”
Why people struggle to get the PIP they deserve
Phillipa* was a psychiatric nurse before becoming a PIP assessor. She left in 2025 after nine months having become disillusioned with the job.
She said there was pressure to do three or four assessment reports a day. One senior manager “laughed about how long it was taking me to complete reports”, she said.
There were “frequent tears” among “overwhelmed” new staff who struggled with the demands, Phillipa added.
Disabled people do not always “fit neatly” into the rigid categories that lead to points, so some claimants struggle to get the benefit they are entitled to, said the ex-assessor.
“People inevitably became numbers attached to productivity targets, and I found that deeply uncomfortable.”
Phillipa suggested that a better system would allow assessors to “explore the wider clinical picture”.
Assessors should be able to apply their nursing knowledge with “an appreciation of how complex health conditions can be”, she added. “Human beings don’t fit neatly into boxes.”
Reform’s plan is ‘bonkers’
McFadden recently suggested to MPs on the Work and Pensions Committee that the system was struggling with a rise in claims from people with anxiety, depression and neurodiversity.
However, Timms told The i Paper last month that his review has not so far “looked at changing eligibility on the basis of a diagnosis”.
McFadden also told MPs there was “nothing to stop” the Timms Review from recommending changes that would cut spending on PIP. Spending is forecast to rise from £32.1bn this year to £44.7bn by 2030-31.
The Tories have said they would urgently reassess all “mild” PIP claims, citing anxiety, depression and ADHD in a bid to get more people into work.
Reform has said it would scrap PIP altogether and introduce a new disability benefit for only the most “severe” cases as part of a plan to cut £50bn a year from the welfare bill.
Nigel Farage’s party said all those claiming PIP for “mental health or trivial conditions” would be reassessed, estimating that 2.89 million of 4 million current claimants could see their benefits reduced or withdrawn.
Merrell said it would be “disgusting” to try to restrict PIP for people with a mental health condition, autism or ADHD. “We should not discriminate between conditions. Who has the right to say those conditions don’t matter?”
Reform’s ideas for PIP are “bonkers”, said Merrell. “It’s completely unrealistic to think so many people can have support removed. They seem to be suggesting most people don’t deserve support. The vast majority of claimants and people who consider applying for PIP are struggling and have evidence to show they are impaired by the condition.”
Could PIP be tied to work?
Keir Starmer’s government was forced to ditch plans to squeeze eligibility for PIP last year after a rebellion by Labour MPs. It was part of a plan to cut benefits by £5bn a year, which had to be greatly watered down.
Andy Burnham has said that he is “not squeamish” about the need to reduce the UK’s welfare bill. The PM has ruled out “crude” short-term cuts, suggesting that reduced spending could happen over time by getting more people into work.
Alan Milburn, who is leading a review of the youth unemployment crisis, has suggested he could recommend changing PIP in some way for 18- to 24-year-olds so there greater focus on getting people into employment.
Timms said that changes could “enable PIP to do a better job to support people into employment”. The disability minister’s recommendations are not due until this autumn.
Merrell pointed out that PIP is “not an out-of-work benefit – it’s there to deal with the costs of having a disability”.
“The consequences of having a disability do not disappear when you’re in a job. So it shouldn’t be conditional on work in any way, regardless of age.”
A DWP spokesperson said: “We inherited a system of rising costs and poor outcomes for too many people, as well as a collapse in face-to-face assessments inherited from the previous government which we are rectifying.”
They said recommendations from the Timms and Milburn reviews “will lay the foundation for sustainable reform”.
Reform UK and the Conservatives were contacted for comment.
*Name has been changed to protect anonymity