Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what specific steps the Department took to reduce the delays to personal independence payment (PIP) claimants using special rules; and when PIP claimants using normal rules will benefit from efforts to reduce waiting times.

So far we have introduced:

• A dedicated phone service with specially trained staff;

• An electronic transfer of information between a claimant's health professional, DWP and assessment providers.

• Trialling a new process to enable decisions to be made in-house with support from health care professionals

• Clearer guidance for DWP staff

We are absolutely committed to reducing the delays. By the Autumn, we expect no one to be waiting for an assessment for longer than 26 weeks and by the end of the year, we expect no one will be waiting longer than 16 weeks."