Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what progress she has made on the new agent-led process for both personal and corporate appointees, as outlined as a priority in the Universal Credit Programme Board paper 5 (UCPB180517).

The process to establish a new appointee or to validate an existing appointee for another benefit has been rolled out across all Jobcentres. The process determines whether an appointee is necessary and the best course of action. In making the decision, the Department must be satisfied that the claimant is not able to manage their own affairs because of a mental incapacity or severe physical disability.