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 adequacy of the PIP application system; and if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of (a) simplifying the application process and (b) introducing measures to reduce waiting times for decisions.

The Personal Independence Payment application process, which was developed with the assistance of disabled people, is kept under constant review. This is to ensure that it is accessible to claimants, and that it helps the Department reach an accurate assessment of an individual’s entitlement.

The Health Transformation Programme (HTP) is modernising Health and Disability benefit services. It is developing a PIP service which will ultimately offer online application and reduce journey times, providing a more efficient service and an enhanced customer experience.