Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether all personal independence payment assessors have undertaken training on understanding the (a) nature and (b) effect on people of fluctuating medical conditions.

We understand the challenges associated with fluctuating conditions and have enhanced the training that Health Professionals receive to ensure that advice in this area is comprehensive. All Health Professionals receive training in disability analysis which includes a functional evaluation as to how medical conditions and the long-term medical treatment of those conditions affect an individual.

It is recognised that, over time, most conditions fluctuate to some degree and so it is essential for the assessment to accurately reflect the impact of variations in an individual’s level of impairment. Health Professionals carrying out assessments are directed to take a view of an individual’s ability over a longer period of time in order to establish a more coherent picture of the disabling effects of an individual’s health condition.