Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she has assessed the potential merits of reimbursing general practitioners for providing medical evidence to support benefit claims; and if she will make a statement.

General Practitioners (GPs) are already directly reimbursed for providing medical evidence to DWP for Attendance Allowance, Disability Living Allowance and Personal Independence Payment claims and when the claimant is potentially terminally ill for benefits which have special provisions for terminally ill people. GPs are also contractually obliged through their contract with NHS England to provide medical evidence for Employment and Support Allowance claims.