Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether Personal Independence Payment assessors receive specialist training on disabilities caused by sodium valproate.

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is committed to ensuring that individuals with disabilities caused by sodium valproate receive high-quality, objective, and accurate assessments.

Personal Independence Payment (PIP) assessments are functional assessments designed to evaluate how an individual’s health conditions or impairments affect their ability to carry out daily living activities and mobility. Health professionals (HPs) conducting these assessments are trained specialists in disability analysis, focusing on understanding the functional impact of a claimant’s condition rather than its clinical diagnosis. DWP does not require HPs to be specialists in the specific medical conditions or impairments of those they assess.

Additionally, HPs have access to Condition Insight Reports and Continuing Professional Development guides. These resources offer detailed clinical and functional information on a range of conditions, including disabilities cause by sodium valproate such as, Fetal Valproate Spectrum Disorder (FVSD), to support HPs in delivering informed assessments.