Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what support and advice is offered by her Department to new claimants for Personal Independence Payment when they are waiting for the decision of a mandatory reconsideration.

The main support and advice is given at the pre-Mandatory Reconsideration stage. Whether the claimant uses Gov.UK or calls the Department to apply for an MR, they are given advice as to what the process involves, including information about providing evidence.

Thereafter the Department’s key responsibility is to ensure that the application is considered without delay. The decision maker may contact the claimant to discuss their dispute and to ensure that they have provided the decision maker with all the material evidence necessary to decide whether there are grounds to change the decision.