Asked by: Helen Whately (Conservative - Faversham and Mid Kent)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many PIP assessments required the use of (a) an interpreter and (b) translation services in the period since July 2024.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Functional Assessment Service contracts launched on 9 September 2024. Between then and the end of January 2026, across all delivery areas, a total of 230,000 Personal Independence Payment (PIP) assessments were completed with a translator present.
This includes British Sign Language, Irish Sign Language and lip speaking services, and is not limited to spoken language interpretation.
These numbers are based on completed assessments by either face-to-face, telephone or video where a request for an interpreter or translator was met and are rounded in line with statistical disclosure protocols.
Prior to September 2024, the department does not hold this data for all delivery areas in the outgoing assessment contracts.
Asked by: Helen Whately (Conservative - Faversham and Mid Kent)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will publish the number and proportion of licensed sponsoring employers for (a) Skilled Worker visa holders and (b) Health and Care Worker visa holders registered in each local authority area.
Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
Official statistics published by the Home Office are kept under review in line with the code of practice for statistics, taking into account a number of factors including user needs, the resources required to compile the statistics, as well as quality and availability of data.
Statistics regarding the UK population is a matter for the independent Office for National Statistics (ONS).
Asked by: Helen Whately (Conservative - Faversham and Mid Kent)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people since the start of 2025 have been assessed for PIP a) in-person b) over the phone or c) via video call.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
While this information is not currently published by the department, we will be sharing this data in a future statistical release.
Asked by: Helen Whately (Conservative - Faversham and Mid Kent)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people since the start of 2025 have been awarded PIP after an assessment a) in-person b) over the phone or c) via video call.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
While this information is not currently published by the department, we will be sharing this data in a future statistical release.
Asked by: Helen Whately (Conservative - Faversham and Mid Kent)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will publish the number and proportion of applicants granted (a) Skilled Worker visas and (b) Health and Care Worker visas whose declared workplace is located in each local authority area.
Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
Official statistics published by the Home Office are kept under review in line with the code of practice for statistics, taking into account a number of factors including user needs, the resources required to compile the statistics, as well as quality and availability of data.
Statistics regarding the UK population is a matter for the independent Office for National Statistics (ONS).
Asked by: Helen Whately (Conservative - Faversham and Mid Kent)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will publish the number and proportion of people currently in the UK on (a) Skilled Worker visas and (b) Health and Care Worker visas by local authority area.
Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
Official statistics published by the Home Office are kept under review in line with the code of practice for statistics, taking into account a number of factors including user needs, the resources required to compile the statistics, as well as quality and availability of data.
Statistics regarding the UK population is a matter for the independent Office for National Statistics (ONS).
Asked by: Helen Whately (Conservative - Faversham and Mid Kent)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many Work Capability Assessments assessors are required to process per day.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Department for Work and Pensions has not set a specified number of Work Capability Assessments that health professionals (HP) are expected to complete per day. The number of assessments completed can vary depending on the type of assessment (telephone, video, or face‑to‑face), the claimant’s condition, and any additional evidence required, as these appointments have fixed time slots and are delivered through different channels.
While we do have expectations for the total number of assessments conducted by Functional Assessment Service (FAS) suppliers, these would be aggregate monthly numbers across their entire workforce, not individual targets for specific HPs.
Asked by: Helen Whately (Conservative - Faversham and Mid Kent)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what financial payments Work Capability Assessors receive for exceeding minimum daily assessment requirements.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Department for Work and Pensions has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.
Asked by: Helen Whately (Conservative - Faversham and Mid Kent)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many Work Capability Assessments have been (a) curtailed and (b) closed early in the last five years.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Department for Work and Pensions has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.
Asked by: Helen Whately (Conservative - Faversham and Mid Kent)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, which staff at his Department are responsible for overseeing PIP assessors; and whether those staff are able to receive bonuses.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Personal Independence Payment (PIP) assessments are carried out by contracted assessment suppliers. Staff within the Department for Work and Pensions are responsible for monitoring and managing the performance of these suppliers.
DWP contract management staff are responsible for monitoring service delivery against contractual targets and for operating the independent auditing of assessments. This includes oversight of the quality of reports submitted by health professionals working for the assessment suppliers.
DWP staff also undertake work to monitor and manage assessment suppliers' performance as part of its responsibilities under the PIP assessment contracts.
These civil servants are part of the wider DWP workforce and, like other staff in the department, are eligible to receive performance‑related bonuses in line with Civil Service pay arrangements.