Claim 8aea6c0eChecked 21 Jul 2026
TrueOn the truth scale
The Timms review's terms of reference state that it is not about generating proposals for further savings.
Mrs Kemi BadenochConservativeCon / North West Essex·Engagements·03 Jun 2026Factual · official legal institutional
Reasoning & Evidence21 Jul 2026
The official Terms of Reference for the Timms Review, published on GOV.UK, contain a passage in the "Principles" section stating: "the purpose of the Review is to ensure that PIP is fair and fit for the future rather than to generate proposals for further savings. However, the sustainability of the system is an important consideration and so the Review will operate within the OBR's projections for future PIP expenditure, to ensure it is there to support generations to come." This nearly verbatim matches Mrs Badenoch's claim that the Timms review's terms of reference explicitly say it is "not about generating proposals for further savings." One important qualification: the very next sentence in the same bullet point notes that "the sustainability of the system is an important consideration" and that the Review will "operate within the OBR's projections for future PIP expenditure." This means the terms of reference do not ignore cost entirely — they constrain recommendations to fit within existing fiscal forecasts. However, Badenoch's specific factual claim — that the terms of reference state the review is not about generating proposals for further savings — is directly and explicitly confirmed by the primary source. The additional context about sustainability does not contradict the claim; it qualifies it, but the claim itself is accurately reported. Sources: GOV.UK, "Timms Review of Personal Independence Payment: Terms of Reference" — https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/timms-review-of-pip-terms-of-reference/timms-review-of-personal-independence-payment-terms-of-reference ; GOV.UK PDF of Terms of Reference — https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/690215c7918e1f940b3cf7f6/timms-review-of-pip-terms-of-reference.pdf
From speech
The Prime Minister keeps saying he is bringing in welfare reforms. None of those things is going to cut the bill. Even his own Timms review explicitly says—this is their review; this is in the terms of reference—that this is not about generating proposals for further savings. The Prime Minister had a chance to cut benefits. Last year, I remember the Government were planning to cut benefits and on the Floor of the House they U-turned. What did he do when he had a chance? He caved. He caved to all the MPs behind him who do not want benefits brought down. That is why they are sitting silently behind him. Does the Prime Minister agree with his Welfare Secretary that that was the moment he lost his authority?
Sources opened
[1]gov.uk
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/timms-review-of-pip-terms-of-reference/timms-review-of-personal-independence-payment-terms-of-reference
[2]assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/690215c7918e1f940b3cf7f6/timms-review-of-pip-terms-of-reference.pdf
[3]gov.uk
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/the-timms-review
[4]theguardian.com
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/jul/08/what-is-the-timms-review-into-pip-and-what-is-it-likely-to-conclude
[5]theyworkforyou.com
https://www.theyworkforyou.com/wms/?id=2025-10-30.hcws1005.h
[6]gov.uk
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/timms-review-of-personal-independence-payment-interim-report
[7]gov.uk
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/timms-review-of-personal-independence-payment-interim-report/the-timms-review-of-personal-independence-payment-interim-report
[8]theguardian.com
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2026/jul/09/disability-benefits-system-not-working-timms-review-finds
[9]bbc.com
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/czrxj5vvey0o
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