Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to reduce the waiting time between the commencement of a personal independence payment appeal and a decision for claimants in Thanet.

The volume of Personal Independence Payment (PIP) appeals made to the tribunal has built up since it was introduced as a new benefit in 2013. As the number, and age, of appeals lodged increased so has the average waiting time.

Any disparity in waiting times is monitored and investigated locally. In general waiting times can fluctuate temporarily and geographically, owing to a number of variable factors, including volumes of benefit decisions made locally, availability of medical/disability members, venue capacity, and the complexity of appeals

HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS) has been working with the judiciary to identify initiatives to increase the capacity and performance of the tribunal, including reviewing current listing practices. We are also in the process of recruiting over 350 judicial office holders to provide long term capacity in the tribunal.