Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department is taking steps to ensure that those diagnosed with Parkinson's disease are not declared as having a condition which is likely to improve by employment support allowance physical assessors; and if she will make a statement.

Since 29 September 2017, when considering the review period for an Employment and Support Allowance or Universal Credit claimant as part of the Work Capability Assessment, a healthcare professional has been required to consider whether the condition or its functional affects meet the new severe conditions criteria. Where the criteria are all met, the healthcare professional will advise that no further assessments are needed.

Rather than being defined through a list of specific medical conditions, the criteria are based on identifying claimants with severe, lifelong, often progressive and incurable illnesses and disabilities, whose level of function would always mean that they would have Limited Capability for Work and Work-Related Activity, and who are unlikely ever to be able to move into work.