Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the (a) quality and (b) consistency in the delivery of personal independence payment assessments across the UK in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

The Department has set standards for the quality of assessments which both Personal Independence Payment providers must meet, which the Department monitors. The standards require assessment providers to provide the Department’s Decision Makers with an assessment that is clear and medically reasonable.

We are continually working with the assessment providers to further improve the quality of assessments including clinical coaching, feedback and support available to each assessor.