Social Security Benefits: Medical Examinations

(asked on 29th June 2021) - View Source

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many assessments for (a) personal independence payment, (b) universal credit and (c) employment support allowance her Department has carried out by video call since March 2020.


Answered by
Justin Tomlinson Portrait
Justin Tomlinson
This question was answered on 7th July 2021

From November 2020 to date, 930 Personal Independence Payment (PIP) assessments and 760 Work Capability Assessments (WCA) have been carried out by video call. We are unable to break down the WCAs into Universal Credit and Employment and Support Allowance.

Video assessments were introduced, along with telephone assessments, as part of the Covid-19 response, however video assessments are still in the trial stage. The experience and feedback from the trial will inform wider roll out and initially participation in video assessments will be limited, and by invitation only. Video assessments, where appropriate, have taken place alongside telephone and paper based assessments, which have been carried out successfully throughout the pandemic. In addition, face to face assessments resumed in May.

*All volumes have been rounded to the nearest 10.

All of the above data is derived from management information produced by the Assessment Providers.

Please note: the above data is derived from unpublished management information which is collected for internal Departmental use only and has not been quality assured to Official Statistics Publication standards.

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