Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what input Personal Independence Payment (PIP) assessors have on shaping the PIP assessment to ensure it is fit for purpose.

Where there is sufficient available evidence, Personal Independence Payment (PIP) assessments are carried out via a paper-based review (PBR), without the need for a formal consultation. Health Professionals (HPs) can also seek additional information from claimants, GPs or other supporting health professionals where this might help them complete a PBR, where it is appropriate to do so. Where a consultation is necessary, the PIP Assessment Guide (section 1.6) informs HPs to adapt their approach to the needs of the particular claimant, not take a prescriptive approach and ensure that claimants are able to put across the impact of their health condition or impairment in their own words.

Assessment providers are required to ensure that all HPs carrying out PIP assessments have training and knowledge of the clinical aspects and overall functional effects of a wide range of health conditions and impairments.