Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans her Department has to engage directly with (a) disabled and (b) seriously unwell people who have been through its assessments for (i) employment support allowance and (ii) personal independence payment during the consultation on the Health and Disability Green Paper.

The Green Paper aims to better understand the needs of disabled people and will seek views and ideas on what improvements should be made to the health and disability benefits system.

The Department has ensured a strong emphasis on engaging with stakeholders and we have hosted a series of workshops across the country with local disability organisations, disabled people and people with health conditions. This engagement has continued virtually during the Covid-19 pandemic and will continue until publication and during the consultation period.