Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of adding specific information on Cerebral Autosomal Dominant Arteriopathy with Subcortical Infarcts and Leukoencephalopathy to (a) guidance and (b) training for PIP assessors.

Personal Independence Payment assessments assess the functional impact of a claimant’s health condition or impairment on their ability to carry out daily living activities, and to understand how a condition affects day-to-day functioning.

All health professionals (HPs) conducting these assessments are trained specialists in disability analysis and receive comprehensive training on assessing the effects of both physical and mental health conditions. Given the wide range of health conditions, many of which are rare and present with varying degrees of functional impact, it is not feasible to provide specific training on every individual condition. The Orphanet directory, for example, lists over 23,000 rare diseases.

While there is no condition-specific training on Cerebral Autosomal Dominant Arteriopathy with Subcortical Infarcts and Leukoencephalopathy (CADASIL), HPs have access to a broad suite of Core Training and Guidance Materials. These include Condition Insight Reports and Continuing Professional Development guides, which provide detailed, quality-assured information on symptoms commonly associated with CADASIL, such as migraines and strokes.