Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that claimants understand whether correspondence concerning PIP is being handled by his Department or by a contracted assessment provider.

The Department works to ensure that claimants understand the different organisations involved in the Personal Independence Payment (PIP) assessment process. While contracted assessment suppliers are responsible for issuing communications relating to assessments, including appointment invitations and reminder messages, these communications are issued using Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) branding to provide a consistent claimant experience.

Assessment related correspondence clearly relates to the PIP assessment process and includes information about the assessment provider where relevant. This helps claimants understand the purpose of the communication and the role of the assessment supplier contacting them, while maintaining a clear and recognisable DWP identity throughout the customer journey.