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Written Question
Whisky: Scotland
Tuesday 29th October 2019

Asked by: Martin Whitfield (Labour - East Lothian)

Question to the Department for International Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what recent assessment he has made of the contribution of the Scotch whisky industry to the UK's food and drink exports.

Answered by Conor Burns

Scotch whisky is a significant contributor to the UK’s overall food and drink exports. In 2018, whisky exports reached a record £4.8bn, representing over 21% of total food and drink exports. This is an increase of 9.1% on 2017. The largest export market, USA, recorded export sales of £1.06bn, an increase of 12.4%.


Written Question
Personal Independence Payment: Multiple Sclerosis
Monday 22nd July 2019

Asked by: Martin Whitfield (Labour - East Lothian)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people with multiple sclerosis in receipt of disability living allowance in (a) Scotland, (b) Northern Ireland, (c) Wales and (d) England appealed a decision at tribunal relating to a reassessment for personal independence payments and had that decision overturned (i) by her Department before the date of that tribunal and (ii) by that tribunal in each year since 2013.

Answered by Justin Tomlinson

The information requested on Personal Independence Payment (PIP) mandatory reconsiderations (MR) and appeals for claimants with a primary disabling condition of Multiple Sclerosis in Scotland, Wales and England can be found in the tables below.

The Northern Irish Assembly has devolved responsibility for social security benefits. The responsibility for statistics in Northern Ireland lies with the Department for Communities: http://www.communities-ni.gov.uk

Since PIP was introduced 4.1m decisions have been made up to March 2019, of these 10% have been appealed and 5% have been overturned.

Reassessments from Disability Living Allowance (DLA) to PIP.

Table 1: The number of Initial Decisions, MRs and appeals for reassessment claims to PIP with a main disabling condition of multiple sclerosis, Scotland.

Financial Year of Initial Decision

Number of Initial Decisions

MRs registered

MRs completed where the initial award was changed

MRs completed where the initial award was not changed

Appeals Lodged

Appeals where the decision was lapsed

Appeals where the decision was maintained

Appeals where the decision was overturned in favour of the claimant

2013/14

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

2014/15

70

10

10

#

#

0

#

#

2015/16

370

70

20

60

50

#

10

30

2016/17

1,360

210

60

150

100

10

20

60

2017/18

820

140

40

100

70

10

10

40

2018/19

690

120

20

80

60

10

10

20

Table 2: The number of Initial Decisions, MRs and appeals for reassessment claims to PIP with a main disabling condition of multiple sclerosis, Wales.

Financial Year of Initial Decision

Number of Initial Decisions

MRs registered

MRs completed where the initial award was changed

MRs completed where the initial award was not changed

Appeals Lodged

Appeals where the decision was lapsed

Appeals where the decision was maintained

Appeals where the decision was overturned in favour of the claimant

2013/14

#

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

2014/15

150

40

20

20

20

#

0

10

2015/16

250

60

10

50

30

#

#

20

2016/17

930

200

60

150

90

10

10

70

2017/18

430

60

20

50

30

#

#

20

2018/19

240

50

10

20

10

#

0

0

Table 3: The number of Initial Decisions, MRs and appeals for reassessment claims to PIP with a main disabling condition of multiple sclerosis, England.

Financial Year of Initial Decision

Number of Initial Decisions

MRs registered

MRs completed where the initial award was changed

MRs completed where the initial award was not changed

Appeals Lodged

Appeals where the decision was lapsed

Appeals where the decision was maintained

Appeals where the decision was overturned in favour of the claimant

2013/14

#

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

2014/15

610

110

50

50

40

#

#

30

2015/16

2,720

640

160

470

300

30

40

220

2016/17

9,920

1,970

550

1,400

840

80

140

560

2017/18

7,160

1,380

330

1,040

620

100

70

350

2018/19

6,260

1,220

300

810

500

120

10

80

New Claims to PIP.

Table 4: The number of Initial Decisions, MRs and appeals for PIP new claims with a main disabling condition of multiple sclerosis, Scotland.

Financial Year of Initial Decision

Number of Initial Decisions

MRs registered

MRs completed where the initial award was changed

MRs completed where the initial award was not changed

Appeals Lodged

Appeals where the decision was lapsed

Appeals where the decision was maintained

Appeals where the decision was overturned in favour of the claimant

2013/14

130

20

10

20

10

#

#

#

2014/15

560

110

20

90

40

10

10

20

2015/16

470

120

20

100

40

#

20

20

2016/17

540

130

20

110

50

10

10

30

2017/18

500

110

10

90

40

#

10

30

2018/19

440

100

10

80

30

10

#

10

Table 5: The number of Initial Decisions, MRs and appeals for PIP new claims with a main disabling condition of multiple sclerosis, Wales.

Financial Year of Initial Decision

Number of Initial Decisions

MRs registered

MRs completed where the initial award was changed

MRs completed where the initial award was not changed

Appeals Lodged

Appeals where the decision was lapsed

Appeals where the decision was maintained

Appeals where the decision was overturned in favour of the claimant

2013/14

40

10

#

10

#

0

#

#

2014/15

250

40

10

30

10

#

#

10

2015/16

140

30

10

20

#

0

#

#

2016/17

180

40

#

40

20

#

10

10

2017/18

160

40

10

30

20

0

#

10

2018/19

190

50

10

30

10

#

#

#

Table 6: The number of Initial Decisions, MRs and appeals for PIP new claims with a main disabling condition of multiple sclerosis, England.

Financial Year of Initial Decision

Number of Initial Decisions

MRs registered

MRs completed where the initial award was changed

MRs completed where the initial award was not changed

Appeals Lodged

Appeals where the decision was lapsed

Appeals where the decision was maintained

Appeals where the decision was overturned in favour of the claimant

2013/14

530

90

30

60

30

10

10

10

2014/15

3,940

650

170

470

180

30

40

100

2015/16

3,240

730

130

600

240

20

60

150

2016/17

3,040

670

90

580

230

30

70

120

2017/18

3,130

740

110

630

280

40

40

160

2018/19

2,780

640

100

450

190

20

#

20

Source: PIP Computer System

All data rounded to the nearest 10. # refers to where there are less than 5 cases.

Components may not sum to totals due to rounding.

In the application process, claimants’ primary disabling condition is only recorded for collation by the Department at assessment.

Data is based on primary disabling condition as recorded on the PIP computer systems. Claimants may often have multiple disabling conditions upon which the decision is based but only the primary condition is shown in these statistics.

The geography relates to the origin of the claim (i.e. derived from claimant’s postcode).

PIP data includes normal rules and special rules for the terminally ill claimants.

Some decisions which are changed at MR, and where the claimant continues to appeal for a higher PIP award, are then changed again at tribunal appeal. Therefore the number of people who had a decision changed at MR and the number of people who had a decision changed at tribunal appeal cannot be added together.

Lapsed appeals are where DWP changed the decision after an appeal was lodged but before it was heard at Tribunal.

Claimants who have received benefit decisions more recently may not yet have had time to complete the claimant journey and progress to an MR and appeal.


Written Question
Personal Independence Payment: Multiple Sclerosis
Monday 22nd July 2019

Asked by: Martin Whitfield (Labour - East Lothian)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people with multiple sclerosis in (a) Scotland, (b) Northern Ireland, (c) Wales and (d) England who made a new application for personal independence payments appealed the decision made by her Department at tribunal and had that decision overturned by (i) her Department before the date of the tribunal and (ii) the tribunal in each year since 2013.

Answered by Justin Tomlinson

The information requested on Personal Independence Payment (PIP) mandatory reconsiderations (MR) and appeals for claimants with a primary disabling condition of Multiple Sclerosis in Scotland, Wales and England can be found in the tables below.

The Northern Irish Assembly has devolved responsibility for social security benefits. The responsibility for statistics in Northern Ireland lies with the Department for Communities: http://www.communities-ni.gov.uk

Since PIP was introduced 4.1m decisions have been made up to March 2019, of these 10% have been appealed and 5% have been overturned.

Reassessments from Disability Living Allowance (DLA) to PIP.

Table 1: The number of Initial Decisions, MRs and appeals for reassessment claims to PIP with a main disabling condition of multiple sclerosis, Scotland.

Financial Year of Initial Decision

Number of Initial Decisions

MRs registered

MRs completed where the initial award was changed

MRs completed where the initial award was not changed

Appeals Lodged

Appeals where the decision was lapsed

Appeals where the decision was maintained

Appeals where the decision was overturned in favour of the claimant

2013/14

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

2014/15

70

10

10

#

#

0

#

#

2015/16

370

70

20

60

50

#

10

30

2016/17

1,360

210

60

150

100

10

20

60

2017/18

820

140

40

100

70

10

10

40

2018/19

690

120

20

80

60

10

10

20

Table 2: The number of Initial Decisions, MRs and appeals for reassessment claims to PIP with a main disabling condition of multiple sclerosis, Wales.

Financial Year of Initial Decision

Number of Initial Decisions

MRs registered

MRs completed where the initial award was changed

MRs completed where the initial award was not changed

Appeals Lodged

Appeals where the decision was lapsed

Appeals where the decision was maintained

Appeals where the decision was overturned in favour of the claimant

2013/14

#

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

2014/15

150

40

20

20

20

#

0

10

2015/16

250

60

10

50

30

#

#

20

2016/17

930

200

60

150

90

10

10

70

2017/18

430

60

20

50

30

#

#

20

2018/19

240

50

10

20

10

#

0

0

Table 3: The number of Initial Decisions, MRs and appeals for reassessment claims to PIP with a main disabling condition of multiple sclerosis, England.

Financial Year of Initial Decision

Number of Initial Decisions

MRs registered

MRs completed where the initial award was changed

MRs completed where the initial award was not changed

Appeals Lodged

Appeals where the decision was lapsed

Appeals where the decision was maintained

Appeals where the decision was overturned in favour of the claimant

2013/14

#

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

2014/15

610

110

50

50

40

#

#

30

2015/16

2,720

640

160

470

300

30

40

220

2016/17

9,920

1,970

550

1,400

840

80

140

560

2017/18

7,160

1,380

330

1,040

620

100

70

350

2018/19

6,260

1,220

300

810

500

120

10

80

New Claims to PIP.

Table 4: The number of Initial Decisions, MRs and appeals for PIP new claims with a main disabling condition of multiple sclerosis, Scotland.

Financial Year of Initial Decision

Number of Initial Decisions

MRs registered

MRs completed where the initial award was changed

MRs completed where the initial award was not changed

Appeals Lodged

Appeals where the decision was lapsed

Appeals where the decision was maintained

Appeals where the decision was overturned in favour of the claimant

2013/14

130

20

10

20

10

#

#

#

2014/15

560

110

20

90

40

10

10

20

2015/16

470

120

20

100

40

#

20

20

2016/17

540

130

20

110

50

10

10

30

2017/18

500

110

10

90

40

#

10

30

2018/19

440

100

10

80

30

10

#

10

Table 5: The number of Initial Decisions, MRs and appeals for PIP new claims with a main disabling condition of multiple sclerosis, Wales.

Financial Year of Initial Decision

Number of Initial Decisions

MRs registered

MRs completed where the initial award was changed

MRs completed where the initial award was not changed

Appeals Lodged

Appeals where the decision was lapsed

Appeals where the decision was maintained

Appeals where the decision was overturned in favour of the claimant

2013/14

40

10

#

10

#

0

#

#

2014/15

250

40

10

30

10

#

#

10

2015/16

140

30

10

20

#

0

#

#

2016/17

180

40

#

40

20

#

10

10

2017/18

160

40

10

30

20

0

#

10

2018/19

190

50

10

30

10

#

#

#

Table 6: The number of Initial Decisions, MRs and appeals for PIP new claims with a main disabling condition of multiple sclerosis, England.

Financial Year of Initial Decision

Number of Initial Decisions

MRs registered

MRs completed where the initial award was changed

MRs completed where the initial award was not changed

Appeals Lodged

Appeals where the decision was lapsed

Appeals where the decision was maintained

Appeals where the decision was overturned in favour of the claimant

2013/14

530

90

30

60

30

10

10

10

2014/15

3,940

650

170

470

180

30

40

100

2015/16

3,240

730

130

600

240

20

60

150

2016/17

3,040

670

90

580

230

30

70

120

2017/18

3,130

740

110

630

280

40

40

160

2018/19

2,780

640

100

450

190

20

#

20

Source: PIP Computer System

All data rounded to the nearest 10. # refers to where there are less than 5 cases.

Components may not sum to totals due to rounding.

In the application process, claimants’ primary disabling condition is only recorded for collation by the Department at assessment.

Data is based on primary disabling condition as recorded on the PIP computer systems. Claimants may often have multiple disabling conditions upon which the decision is based but only the primary condition is shown in these statistics.

The geography relates to the origin of the claim (i.e. derived from claimant’s postcode).

PIP data includes normal rules and special rules for the terminally ill claimants.

Some decisions which are changed at MR, and where the claimant continues to appeal for a higher PIP award, are then changed again at tribunal appeal. Therefore the number of people who had a decision changed at MR and the number of people who had a decision changed at tribunal appeal cannot be added together.

Lapsed appeals are where DWP changed the decision after an appeal was lodged but before it was heard at Tribunal.

Claimants who have received benefit decisions more recently may not yet have had time to complete the claimant journey and progress to an MR and appeal.


Written Question
Personal Independence Payment: Multiple Sclerosis
Monday 22nd July 2019

Asked by: Martin Whitfield (Labour - East Lothian)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many personal independence payment applications by people with multiple sclerosis have been returned by decision makers to assessment providers having been deemed to be of insufficient quality in each year since 2013.

Answered by Justin Tomlinson

The information requested is not collated centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.


Written Question
Personal Independence Payment: Multiple Sclerosis
Monday 22nd July 2019

Asked by: Martin Whitfield (Labour - East Lothian)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people with multiple sclerosis have requested a copy of their personal independence payment assessment report following a face-to-face assessment in each year since 2013.

Answered by Justin Tomlinson

To gather this information, each claim would have to be looked at individually, therefore could only be provided at disproportionate cost.


Written Question
Personal Independence Payment: Medical Examinations
Monday 22nd July 2019

Asked by: Martin Whitfield (Labour - East Lothian)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what data her Department holds on the number of applications for personal independence payments that were (a) refused and (b) reduced based on informal observations made of the applicant upon face to face assessment.

Answered by Justin Tomlinson

The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

Informal observations form part of the suite of evidence used by Health Professionals at the face to face assessment to help Case Managers determine entitlement to benefit, along with medical evidence, history of conditions, social and occupational history, functional history including the ‘typical day’ and the functional examination.

More information can be found at paragraph 1.6 in the Personal Independence Payment Assessment Guide at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/personal-independence-payment-assessment-guide-for-assessment-providers/pip-assessment-guide-part-1-the-assessment-process#carrying-out-pip-assessments


Written Question
Personal Independence Payment: Multiple Sclerosis
Monday 22nd July 2019

Asked by: Martin Whitfield (Labour - East Lothian)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people with multiple sclerosis in (a) Scotland, (b) Northern Ireland, (c) Wales and (d) England (i) made new applications for personal independence payments and (ii) were reassessed from disability living allowance to personal independence payments in each year since 2013.

Answered by Justin Tomlinson

The Department does not hold the data requested on the disability of a Personal Independence Payment (PIP) claimant at the point of registration (application) for a claim. Data on a PIP claimant’s condition is not recorded until the claimant attends an assessment.

The latest available data on PIP clearances can be broken down by main disabling condition for both new claims and DLA reassessment claims for those that attended an assessment (awarded and disallowed post referral to the AP due to failing assessment), for each month from the introduction of PIP in April 2013 to the last available data in April 2019. Data can also be split by geographical area within Great Britain (region).

Stat-Xplore can be found at https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/

Guidance on how to use Stat-Xplore can be found here: https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/index.html

Please note that the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) is only responsible for benefits in Great Britain. Social security benefits, including PIP, are a devolved matter in Northern Ireland and your questions regarding PIP in Northern Ireland should be directed at the Department of Communities in Northern Ireland.


Written Question
Personal Independence Payment: Multiple Sclerosis
Monday 22nd July 2019

Asked by: Martin Whitfield (Labour - East Lothian)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people with multiple sclerosis in (a) Scotland, (b) Northern Ireland, (c) Wales and (d) England that were in receipt of disability living allowance and underwent a reassessment for personal independence payments applied for mandatory reconsideration of the decision in each year since 2013; and how many of those people (i) had their decision overturned and (ii) had their decision upheld.

Answered by Justin Tomlinson

The information requested on Personal Independence Payment (PIP) mandatory reconsiderations (MR) and appeals for claimants with a primary disabling condition of Multiple Sclerosis in Scotland, Wales and England can be found in the tables below.

The Northern Irish Assembly has devolved responsibility for social security benefits. The responsibility for statistics in Northern Ireland lies with the Department for Communities: http://www.communities-ni.gov.uk

Since PIP was introduced 4.1m decisions have been made up to March 2019, of these 10% have been appealed and 5% have been overturned.

Reassessments from Disability Living Allowance (DLA) to PIP.

Table 1: The number of Initial Decisions, MRs and appeals for reassessment claims to PIP with a main disabling condition of multiple sclerosis, Scotland.

Financial Year of Initial Decision

Number of Initial Decisions

MRs registered

MRs completed where the initial award was changed

MRs completed where the initial award was not changed

Appeals Lodged

Appeals where the decision was lapsed

Appeals where the decision was maintained

Appeals where the decision was overturned in favour of the claimant

2013/14

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

2014/15

70

10

10

#

#

0

#

#

2015/16

370

70

20

60

50

#

10

30

2016/17

1,360

210

60

150

100

10

20

60

2017/18

820

140

40

100

70

10

10

40

2018/19

690

120

20

80

60

10

10

20

Table 2: The number of Initial Decisions, MRs and appeals for reassessment claims to PIP with a main disabling condition of multiple sclerosis, Wales.

Financial Year of Initial Decision

Number of Initial Decisions

MRs registered

MRs completed where the initial award was changed

MRs completed where the initial award was not changed

Appeals Lodged

Appeals where the decision was lapsed

Appeals where the decision was maintained

Appeals where the decision was overturned in favour of the claimant

2013/14

#

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

2014/15

150

40

20

20

20

#

0

10

2015/16

250

60

10

50

30

#

#

20

2016/17

930

200

60

150

90

10

10

70

2017/18

430

60

20

50

30

#

#

20

2018/19

240

50

10

20

10

#

0

0

Table 3: The number of Initial Decisions, MRs and appeals for reassessment claims to PIP with a main disabling condition of multiple sclerosis, England.

Financial Year of Initial Decision

Number of Initial Decisions

MRs registered

MRs completed where the initial award was changed

MRs completed where the initial award was not changed

Appeals Lodged

Appeals where the decision was lapsed

Appeals where the decision was maintained

Appeals where the decision was overturned in favour of the claimant

2013/14

#

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

2014/15

610

110

50

50

40

#

#

30

2015/16

2,720

640

160

470

300

30

40

220

2016/17

9,920

1,970

550

1,400

840

80

140

560

2017/18

7,160

1,380

330

1,040

620

100

70

350

2018/19

6,260

1,220

300

810

500

120

10

80

New Claims to PIP.

Table 4: The number of Initial Decisions, MRs and appeals for PIP new claims with a main disabling condition of multiple sclerosis, Scotland.

Financial Year of Initial Decision

Number of Initial Decisions

MRs registered

MRs completed where the initial award was changed

MRs completed where the initial award was not changed

Appeals Lodged

Appeals where the decision was lapsed

Appeals where the decision was maintained

Appeals where the decision was overturned in favour of the claimant

2013/14

130

20

10

20

10

#

#

#

2014/15

560

110

20

90

40

10

10

20

2015/16

470

120

20

100

40

#

20

20

2016/17

540

130

20

110

50

10

10

30

2017/18

500

110

10

90

40

#

10

30

2018/19

440

100

10

80

30

10

#

10

Table 5: The number of Initial Decisions, MRs and appeals for PIP new claims with a main disabling condition of multiple sclerosis, Wales.

Financial Year of Initial Decision

Number of Initial Decisions

MRs registered

MRs completed where the initial award was changed

MRs completed where the initial award was not changed

Appeals Lodged

Appeals where the decision was lapsed

Appeals where the decision was maintained

Appeals where the decision was overturned in favour of the claimant

2013/14

40

10

#

10

#

0

#

#

2014/15

250

40

10

30

10

#

#

10

2015/16

140

30

10

20

#

0

#

#

2016/17

180

40

#

40

20

#

10

10

2017/18

160

40

10

30

20

0

#

10

2018/19

190

50

10

30

10

#

#

#

Table 6: The number of Initial Decisions, MRs and appeals for PIP new claims with a main disabling condition of multiple sclerosis, England.

Financial Year of Initial Decision

Number of Initial Decisions

MRs registered

MRs completed where the initial award was changed

MRs completed where the initial award was not changed

Appeals Lodged

Appeals where the decision was lapsed

Appeals where the decision was maintained

Appeals where the decision was overturned in favour of the claimant

2013/14

530

90

30

60

30

10

10

10

2014/15

3,940

650

170

470

180

30

40

100

2015/16

3,240

730

130

600

240

20

60

150

2016/17

3,040

670

90

580

230

30

70

120

2017/18

3,130

740

110

630

280

40

40

160

2018/19

2,780

640

100

450

190

20

#

20

Source: PIP Computer System

All data rounded to the nearest 10. # refers to where there are less than 5 cases.

Components may not sum to totals due to rounding.

In the application process, claimants’ primary disabling condition is only recorded for collation by the Department at assessment.

Data is based on primary disabling condition as recorded on the PIP computer systems. Claimants may often have multiple disabling conditions upon which the decision is based but only the primary condition is shown in these statistics.

The geography relates to the origin of the claim (i.e. derived from claimant’s postcode).

PIP data includes normal rules and special rules for the terminally ill claimants.

Some decisions which are changed at MR, and where the claimant continues to appeal for a higher PIP award, are then changed again at tribunal appeal. Therefore the number of people who had a decision changed at MR and the number of people who had a decision changed at tribunal appeal cannot be added together.

Lapsed appeals are where DWP changed the decision after an appeal was lodged but before it was heard at Tribunal.

Claimants who have received benefit decisions more recently may not yet have had time to complete the claimant journey and progress to an MR and appeal.


Written Question
Personal Independence Payment: Multiple Sclerosis
Monday 22nd July 2019

Asked by: Martin Whitfield (Labour - East Lothian)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people with multiple sclerosis in (a) Scotland, (b) Northern Ireland, (c) Wales and (d) England that made a new application for personal independence payment applied for mandatory reconsideration of the decision in each year since 2013, and how many of those people had had their decision (i) overturned and (ii) upheld.

Answered by Justin Tomlinson

The information requested on Personal Independence Payment (PIP) mandatory reconsiderations (MR) and appeals for claimants with a primary disabling condition of Multiple Sclerosis in Scotland, Wales and England can be found in the tables below.

The Northern Irish Assembly has devolved responsibility for social security benefits. The responsibility for statistics in Northern Ireland lies with the Department for Communities: http://www.communities-ni.gov.uk

Since PIP was introduced 4.1m decisions have been made up to March 2019, of these 10% have been appealed and 5% have been overturned.

Reassessments from Disability Living Allowance (DLA) to PIP.

Table 1: The number of Initial Decisions, MRs and appeals for reassessment claims to PIP with a main disabling condition of multiple sclerosis, Scotland.

Financial Year of Initial Decision

Number of Initial Decisions

MRs registered

MRs completed where the initial award was changed

MRs completed where the initial award was not changed

Appeals Lodged

Appeals where the decision was lapsed

Appeals where the decision was maintained

Appeals where the decision was overturned in favour of the claimant

2013/14

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

2014/15

70

10

10

#

#

0

#

#

2015/16

370

70

20

60

50

#

10

30

2016/17

1,360

210

60

150

100

10

20

60

2017/18

820

140

40

100

70

10

10

40

2018/19

690

120

20

80

60

10

10

20

Table 2: The number of Initial Decisions, MRs and appeals for reassessment claims to PIP with a main disabling condition of multiple sclerosis, Wales.

Financial Year of Initial Decision

Number of Initial Decisions

MRs registered

MRs completed where the initial award was changed

MRs completed where the initial award was not changed

Appeals Lodged

Appeals where the decision was lapsed

Appeals where the decision was maintained

Appeals where the decision was overturned in favour of the claimant

2013/14

#

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

2014/15

150

40

20

20

20

#

0

10

2015/16

250

60

10

50

30

#

#

20

2016/17

930

200

60

150

90

10

10

70

2017/18

430

60

20

50

30

#

#

20

2018/19

240

50

10

20

10

#

0

0

Table 3: The number of Initial Decisions, MRs and appeals for reassessment claims to PIP with a main disabling condition of multiple sclerosis, England.

Financial Year of Initial Decision

Number of Initial Decisions

MRs registered

MRs completed where the initial award was changed

MRs completed where the initial award was not changed

Appeals Lodged

Appeals where the decision was lapsed

Appeals where the decision was maintained

Appeals where the decision was overturned in favour of the claimant

2013/14

#

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

2014/15

610

110

50

50

40

#

#

30

2015/16

2,720

640

160

470

300

30

40

220

2016/17

9,920

1,970

550

1,400

840

80

140

560

2017/18

7,160

1,380

330

1,040

620

100

70

350

2018/19

6,260

1,220

300

810

500

120

10

80

New Claims to PIP.

Table 4: The number of Initial Decisions, MRs and appeals for PIP new claims with a main disabling condition of multiple sclerosis, Scotland.

Financial Year of Initial Decision

Number of Initial Decisions

MRs registered

MRs completed where the initial award was changed

MRs completed where the initial award was not changed

Appeals Lodged

Appeals where the decision was lapsed

Appeals where the decision was maintained

Appeals where the decision was overturned in favour of the claimant

2013/14

130

20

10

20

10

#

#

#

2014/15

560

110

20

90

40

10

10

20

2015/16

470

120

20

100

40

#

20

20

2016/17

540

130

20

110

50

10

10

30

2017/18

500

110

10

90

40

#

10

30

2018/19

440

100

10

80

30

10

#

10

Table 5: The number of Initial Decisions, MRs and appeals for PIP new claims with a main disabling condition of multiple sclerosis, Wales.

Financial Year of Initial Decision

Number of Initial Decisions

MRs registered

MRs completed where the initial award was changed

MRs completed where the initial award was not changed

Appeals Lodged

Appeals where the decision was lapsed

Appeals where the decision was maintained

Appeals where the decision was overturned in favour of the claimant

2013/14

40

10

#

10

#

0

#

#

2014/15

250

40

10

30

10

#

#

10

2015/16

140

30

10

20

#

0

#

#

2016/17

180

40

#

40

20

#

10

10

2017/18

160

40

10

30

20

0

#

10

2018/19

190

50

10

30

10

#

#

#

Table 6: The number of Initial Decisions, MRs and appeals for PIP new claims with a main disabling condition of multiple sclerosis, England.

Financial Year of Initial Decision

Number of Initial Decisions

MRs registered

MRs completed where the initial award was changed

MRs completed where the initial award was not changed

Appeals Lodged

Appeals where the decision was lapsed

Appeals where the decision was maintained

Appeals where the decision was overturned in favour of the claimant

2013/14

530

90

30

60

30

10

10

10

2014/15

3,940

650

170

470

180

30

40

100

2015/16

3,240

730

130

600

240

20

60

150

2016/17

3,040

670

90

580

230

30

70

120

2017/18

3,130

740

110

630

280

40

40

160

2018/19

2,780

640

100

450

190

20

#

20

Source: PIP Computer System

All data rounded to the nearest 10. # refers to where there are less than 5 cases.

Components may not sum to totals due to rounding.

In the application process, claimants’ primary disabling condition is only recorded for collation by the Department at assessment.

Data is based on primary disabling condition as recorded on the PIP computer systems. Claimants may often have multiple disabling conditions upon which the decision is based but only the primary condition is shown in these statistics.

The geography relates to the origin of the claim (i.e. derived from claimant’s postcode).

PIP data includes normal rules and special rules for the terminally ill claimants.

Some decisions which are changed at MR, and where the claimant continues to appeal for a higher PIP award, are then changed again at tribunal appeal. Therefore the number of people who had a decision changed at MR and the number of people who had a decision changed at tribunal appeal cannot be added together.

Lapsed appeals are where DWP changed the decision after an appeal was lodged but before it was heard at Tribunal.

Claimants who have received benefit decisions more recently may not yet have had time to complete the claimant journey and progress to an MR and appeal.


Written Question
Personal Independence Payment: Multiple Sclerosis
Monday 22nd July 2019

Asked by: Martin Whitfield (Labour - East Lothian)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people with multiple sclerosis in receipt of disability living allowance who (a) underwent a reassessment and (b) made a new application for personal independence payments had their (i) application rejected and (ii) award reduced as a result of an informal observation made by the assessor in each year since 2013.

Answered by Justin Tomlinson

The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

Informal observations form part of the suite of evidence used by Health Professionals at the face to face assessment to help Case Managers determine entitlement to benefit, along with medical evidence, history of conditions, social and occupational history, functional history including the ‘typical day’ and the functional examination.

More information can be found at paragraph 1.6 in the Personal Independence Payment Assessment Guide at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/personal-independence-payment-assessment-guide-for-assessment-providers/pip-assessment-guide-part-1-the-assessment-process#carrying-out-pip-assessments