Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he plans to change testing criteria for (a) personal independence payments and (b) employment and support allowance.

We continually keep the assessment criteria for Personal Independence Payment and Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) under review.

As announced on 1 October 2016, we will stop requiring people with the most severe, lifetime conditions to be repeatedly assessed for ESA and Universal Credit. Over the coming months we will work with our health assessment provider, medical professionals and other stakeholders to develop a set of criteria to switch off re-assessments for people with the most severe health conditions or disabilities.

In addition the Green Paper, launched on 31 October 2016 explores a range of options, and points to long-term reform, including how we might simplify and improve the assessment process for people with health conditions.