Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to his Department's PIP Assessment Guide, updated on 21 July 2022, whether his Department is taking steps to support people claiming a Personal Independence Payment who require additional support under the guidance.

We understand that some claimants may not be able to engage effectively with the Personal Independence Payment (PIP) claims process due to reduced mental capacity or insight – for example, they may not understand the consequences of not returning a claim form and not have a personal acting body (PAB) to help them. Claimants identified as requiring additional support (AS) during the gathering of initial claim information have an AS marker added to their claim, and elements of the PIP claims process have been adapted to provide further support for this group. If difficulties are identified later in the claimant journey, an AS marker can be added at any point.

The PIP Assessment Guide is guidance for health professionals carrying out assessments and includes a section (1.12) on identifying claimants who require AS to engage with the PIP application process.