Oral Answers to Questions

Tom Pursglove Excerpts

Monday 17th October 2016 Commons Chamber

[Richard Harrington]

I find it strange that the hon. Gentleman and his party were in the House when the Pensions Act 2011 was passed, yet their 2015 manifesto made no mention whatsoever of negating it.

[Tom Pursglove (Corby) (Con)]

5. What support is available for people who require assistance to complete personal independence payment application forms.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Welfare Delivery (Caroline Nokes)]

Department for Work and Pensions visiting officers can assist people with the completion of their PIP forms in their own homes, as can family and friends. Claimants can also authorise another person or organisation to help them handle their PIP claim.

[Tom Pursglove]

I am grateful to the Minister for that answer, but completing the forms can be a particularly difficult experience for those with mental health conditions. I was pleased to hear what the Secretary of State said earlier about reassessments, but what specific help and support is provided to that particular group of applicants?

[Caroline Nokes]

We want to help people with the form as much as possible. That is why we give them up to a month to complete the return form, as well as additional time if they require it. We provide guidance online so that friends and family can look at it and go on to assist the person with the completion of the form. We also allow them to use their own words to describe their condition and to provide as much detail as they would like, or as much as their condition allows.