Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department plans to postpone (a) employment support allowance and (b) personal independence payment assessments during the covid-19 outbreak.
We announced on Monday 16 March that, as of Tuesday 17 March, face-to-face assessments for all sickness and disability benefits will be suspended for the next three months, including those for Employment and Support Allowance and Personal Independence Payment. Anyone who has a face-to-face assessment appointment scheduled from Tuesday 17 March onwards does not need to attend and will be contacted to discuss next steps and alternative arrangements, which could involve either telephone or paper-based assessments.