The DWP has today published the details of the twelve members of the Timms review steering group and many people will be disappointed at the make-up of the panel.
The chosen group of high-achievers will doubtless have much experience and knowledge to offer and almost all have lived experience of disability or long-term health conditions. But ordinary claimants struggling to make ends meet and deal with DWP bureaucracy seem to be almost entirely, if not entirely, unrepresented.
The short biographies given below also do not seem to list anyone who has had a career specifically in welfare benefits advocacy, who would be in a strong position to challenge the DWP on the technical and legal aspects of any proposed changes.
As well as announcing the committee members, the DWP have revealed that the Public Service Consultants and the West of England Centre for Inclusive Living will oversee the delivery of co-production.
The steering group have already had their first introductory call and the next few weeks will see:
- the first formal steering group meetings
- the beginning of detailed co-production and policy work in February
- preparation for a wider, fully accessible programme of engagement beyond the steering group, starting in the spring
The members of the steering group are as follows:
Dr Mark Brookes MBE is currently the Advocacy Lead for Dimensions UK. He has more than 30 years’ experience in publicly advocating for people with learning disabilities and autism and campaigning against hate crime. Mark works with the Churchill Foundation, the Equality and Human Rights Commission, the NHS Advisory Board, the Crown Prosecution Service, the Home Office, and UK Police forces.
George Fielding BEM is a disability rights advocate who has worked nationally across many public services, with operational expertise in youth work, social care, and community capacity building. He has previously co-founded two CQC-regulated social care providers whilst initiating and developing three youth-led social movements, working to develop intergenerational best practice in social change. He is non-executive advisor to three community interest companies which specialise in co-production.
Tara Flood is a long-time disability rights activist, having worked at a local, national and international level. She is currently Head of Co-production at the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. She champions the Social Model of Disability, working with residents to drive policy change and the redesign and delivery of services at a local level.
Mark Fosbrook is a retired Paralympic athlete who brings his own lived experience, and constantly draws on knowledge from others through a person-centred, values-led mindset. As Disability Inclusion Manager at West Midlands Combined Authority, he is driven by advocating for empowering the voices of others, championing change in Transport, Housing, Employment, Health and Social Care.
Ben Geiger is a Professor at King’s College London, and brings academic expertise as well as experience in policy development (including from within the Department for Work and Pensions) and co-production. He currently leads the Welfare Experiences project (comparing how it feels to claim benefits in five countries), and previously co-led the major rapid response study of benefits during COVID-19.
Katrina Gilman is a passionate advocate for disability equality, drawing on lived experience of multiple disabilities and her role as a carer. After 25 years in policing, she now works to break down barriers and champion fairness, accessibility, and opportunity—driving change that empowers disabled people to thrive.
Jean-André Prager has an extensive policy background in PIP and broader disability issues. He was previously the Prime Minister’s Special Adviser covering the Department for Work and Pensions and is currently a Senior Fellow at Policy Exchange and a Director at Flint Global.
Dr Lucy Reynolds is a social entrepreneur, public speaker and disability rights advocate. Founder of We Are All Disabled CIC and Chair of Disability North, she champions an Affirmative approach to disability, using lived experience and academic research to challenge perceptions and drive inclusive cultural change.
Dr Felix Shi brings lived experience as a disabled academic, alongside comparative insights into disability policy across multiple national contexts. As a former board member of Disability Wales and a current member of the Arfon Access Group, Felix works to connect policymakers with grassroots DPOs in Wales.
Dr Dharshana Sridhar is Head of Public Affairs at the Spinal Injuries Association, representing the voices of people with spinal cord injuries nationally. With lived experience as a long-term carer and extensive UK government and international policy expertise, she works to shape fair social security policy and champion the rights, dignity and independence of disabled people and marginalised communities.
Phil Stevens is Chief Executive of Disability Action Haringey and Chair of the Board of Trustees of Disability Action in Islington. He is a disabled leader with extensive experience in user-led advocacy, policy, and strategic development, working to advance rights, access, and inclusion for D/deaf and inclusive events for disabled young people in the UK, and former Director of Autistic Knowledge Development in Scotland, she brings expertise in creating inclusive spaces disabled people across London. [As published by the DWP, but the last part of this biography appears to relate to Leila Talmadge, below]
Leila Talmadge is an autistic and dyslexic project manager and designer. As the former Chair of the Board of Trustees at Daytrippers charity, which provides inclusive events for disabled young people in the UK, and former Director of Autistic Knowledge Development in Scotland, she brings expertise in creating inclusive spaces.
You can read the full Timms update here.
