Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of mandatory reconsideration for assessing Personal Independent Payment decisions.

The Department is committed to making the right decision as early as possible in the claim journey.

Mandatory Reconsideration (MR) is a valuable process that supports the resolution of disputes as early as possible, so that customers do not need to appeal, reducing unnecessary demand on His Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS). At the MR stage, a different Decision Maker will thoroughly review the decision, taking into account all available evidence and contacting the customer for further information where necessary. Decisions will be changed at the MR stage where the evidence supports this.