Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made with Cabinet colleagues of the level of complexity of the application process for the Standard Rate Mobility component of Personal Independence Payments; and if he will take steps to simplify the application process to support individuals whose disabilities impact their mobility and energy levels.

It is important that all of our claimants are able to access our services and that they do not face obstacles in applying and communicating with the Department and its providers. We have a variety of reasonable adjustments to make the claims process and communications easier for some of our most vulnerable customers.

A claim to Personal Independence Payment (PIP) is to the benefit as a whole and not to individual components or their rates. Claimants who only have daily living or mobility needs are free to only provide those details in the relevant parts of the claimant questionnaire to simplify the application process.

The application process is kept under regular review to ensure it meets the needs of claimants and helps the Department provide an accurate assessment of an individual’s entitlement. However, since PIP was introduced in 2013, there have been shifting trends in health, the workplace and wider society and PIP has never been fully reviewed. The Timms Review of PIP will report to the to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with its final recommendations later this month.