Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department takes to assess the effectiveness of mental health champions in (a) personal independence payment and (b) work capability assessments.

The Department outsourced the PIP and ESA assessments to providers and the Mental Health Function Champion (MHFC) role is delivered through them. MHFCs are part of a package of resources available to Health Professionals to help them assess claimants with Mental Health needs.

The Department monitors all elements of the provider’s performance including the quality of assessments, which are assessed through an independent audit, with feedback provided to the provider.