The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (Mr Iain Duncan Smith)
Disability living allowance (DLA) is being replaced by a new benefit called personal independence payment (PIP) for people aged 16-64 from April 2013.
On 2 August 2012 we announced details of the organisations that have been successful in the competition to provide the new independent assessment services for PIP.
This announcement concluded a commercial process that began earlier this year. On 30 April the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) announced the 10 organisations which had been awarded a place on the framework to deliver health and disability assessments. This framework is made up of four regional lots plus a national lot, Lot 5.
On 2 May the DWP invited the organisations in Lots 1 to 4 to tender to deliver the PIP assessment service on behalf of DWP and the Northern Ireland Social Security Agency. The competition selected the following bidders for each of the three regional lots:
Lot 1 (Scotland, north-east and north-west England)—Atos IT Services UK Ltd
Lot 2 (Wales and central England)—Capita Business Services Ltd
Lot 3 (London and southern England)—Atos IT Services UK Ltd
The recommended supplier for Lot 4 is still to be confirmed through the Northern Ireland Social Security Agency approvals process and will be announced in due course.