Personal Independence Payment: Vulnerable Adults

(asked on 4th February 2020) - View Source

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the personal independence payment assessment process in (a) identifying the most vulnerable applicants and (b) ensuring that those applicants receive adequate support.


Answered by
Justin Tomlinson Portrait
Justin Tomlinson
This question was answered on 10th February 2020

DWP are committed to providing a quality, sensitive and respectful service to everyone. In advance of attending a face-to-face consultation, individuals will be given the opportunity to alert their assessment provider of any additional requirements they may have and the providers will meet any such reasonable requests. Individuals identified as being vulnerable, including having mental health or learning disabilities, can access additional support at any point in the claim or assessment process, for example help filling in the form or the questionnaire and additional protections for failing to return the questionnaire or for failing to attend a face-to-face assessment.

Companions are encouraged to attend and can play an active role in assessments. This can be particularly helpful for individuals with mental, cognitive or intellectual impairments who may not be able to provide an accurate account of their condition due to a lack of understanding or unrealistic expectations of their ability.

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