Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what guidance her Department issues to help ensure that Personal Independence Payment claimants with degenerative conditions are identified and recorded for the purposes of scheduling future reassessments.

The Personal Independence Payment Assessment Guide (PIPAG) contains guidance for health professionals carrying out PIP assessments. The PIP assessment is not a medical assessment to diagnose a condition, its severity, or recommend treatment options. Rather it is assessed on the basis of the needs arising from a health condition or disability and, as such, regular reviews are a key feature of PIP, to ensure that payments accurately match the current needs of claimants.

When recommending an appropriate review period, assessors are asked to consider when a significant change in functional needs is likely, giving due regard to the expected progression of a condition and whether it is likely to improve, stay the same, or worsen. It may be appropriate to set a specific review period for a claimant with a degenerative condition as, if the condition is likely to deteriorate over time, the claimant may become entitled to a higher rate of PIP. However, claimants with very high levels of functional impairment who are on the highest PIP awards, and whose needs are only likely to increase, should receive an ongoing award of PIP, with a light-touch review at the 10-year point.