Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to help reduce delays in processing Personal Independence Payment assessments.

We are committed to ensuring people can access financial support through Personal Independence Payment (PIP) in a timely manner. Reducing customer journey times for PIP claimants is a priority for the Department and we are working constantly to make improvements to our service.

We always aim to make an award decision as quickly as possible, taking into account the need to review all available evidence, including that from the claimant.

The latest statistics show that the average end-to-end journey has reduced from 26 weeks in August 2021 to 16 weeks at the end of January 2025. This is because we’re:

• using a blend of phone, video and face-to-face assessments to support customers and deliver a more efficient and user-centred service;
• using customer information and supporting evidence, where possible, to make decisions without the need for a formal health assessment;
• continuing to recruit Assessment Provider health professional resource to meet demand; and
• prioritising new claims, whilst safeguarding claimants awaiting award reviews, who have returned their information as required, to ensure their payments continue until their review can be completed.

In addition, the Health Transformation Programme (HTP) is modernising Health and Disability benefit services to create a more efficient service, to reduce processing times and improving trust in our services and decisions. As part of this, from July 2023, a limited number of claimants have been able to begin their claim for PIP entirely online.