Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she is taking steps to increase the number of Personal Independence Payments assessments that are conducted face-to-face.

Since July 2024, there has been no change in policy regarding assessing Personal Independence Payment (PIP) claims remotely.

With effect from September 2024 assessment suppliers deliver the ‘Health Assessment Advisory Service’ on behalf of the department through the Functional Assessment Services (FAS) contracts. These contracts bring together all functional health assessment services within a geographic area (Lot). Individuals now have the same supplier for their separate PIP and Work Capability Assessments (WCA).

As part of the FAS process, the feasibility of a paper-based assessment will always be considered in the first instance, for all cases. Where a paper-based review is not possible the claimant will be invited to an assessment.

Before an invitation to an assessment is sent, consideration will be given to claimants who need a specific assessment channel due to their health condition or circumstances. Other claimants who can undertake any assessment type will be allocated to the next available appointment; however, this can be changed if the claimant informs us that a reasonable adjustment is appropriate in their circumstances.

The department audits FAS suppliers to ensure that the correct channel type has been selected for the claimant. This provides assurance that claimants are routed to the most appropriate assessment type. The FAS suppliers are also increasing their capacity to deliver more face-to-face assessments, and the department expects the reported percentage of face-to-face assessments to increase towards Autumn 2025.

We remain committed to enabling a multi-channel assessment approach. Any future decisions will be evidence-based and to ensure this we will draw on existing evidence, as well as continuing to build our understanding via research and analysis.