Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will end the requirement for residents of Ealing to attend personal independence payment assessments in Deptford; and if he will make a statement.

The requirement placed on the providers delivering Personal Independence Payment assessments is that claimants cannot usually be expected to travel more than 90 minutes by public transport to attend assessments. We expect them to minimise travel times wherever possible but, in scheduling appointments, they need to balance both keeping journey times down and ensuring claimants are assessed in a reasonable time period. The providers have been opening new assessment centres across the country to increase capacity and reduce journey times. Atos opened sites in Harrow on 23 March 2015; Wandsworth on 15 April 2015; and Vauxhall on 29 April 2015. A centre in Twickenham is due to open in July 2015. This will mean less travel for Ealing residents requiring face-to-face assessments.