Asked by: Seema Malhotra (Labour (Co-op) - Feltham and Heston)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people claiming Personal Independence Payments have covid-19 classified as their primary reason for claiming that benefit.
Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)
As of March 2021, a new code, ‘Coronavirus Covid 19’, has been added to the Personal Independence Payment (PIP) disability coding system in Infectious disease, Viral disease B01-B10 section with other viral diseases.
Claimants under ‘Coronavirus Covid 19’ are a group of people who remain unwell at 12 weeks, with a wide variety of symptoms whose long-term prognosis is unknown. These people meet the diagnostic criteria for post Covid-19 syndrome. Some may recover in a few more months, some may recover over a longer time period. Others may remain unwell or become more unwell over time. Fluctuating functional impairment and wide-ranging symptoms that change over time seem to be a feature of the condition. It is those claimants who have significant functional impairment at 12 weeks, who do not seem to be recovering, who may have entitlement to PIP. Claimants do not have to have had a positive test result to be diagnosed with the syndrome. Testing has not always been easily available.
Data on PIP applications can be found on Stat-Xplore.
In particular, the PIP cases with entitlement dataset allows you to view the number of cases with entitlement split by primary condition. ‘Coronavirus Covid-19’ can be selected by expanding ‘Infectious disease’ then ‘Viral diseases’. Please note that there may be other claimants where the ongoing impact of a Coronavirus infection has influenced the award of PIP. Data is based on primary disabling condition as recorded on the PIP computer systems. Claimants may often have multiple disabling conditions upon which the decision is based but only the primary condition is shown in these statistics. There may be claimants with long Covid who came onto the benefit before March 2021 who are not recorded under the new code.
You can log in, or access Stat-Xplore as a guest user, which still gives instant access to the main functions, and, if needed, you can access guidance on how to extract the information required.
Asked by: Seema Malhotra (Labour (Co-op) - Feltham and Heston)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of people claiming Personal Independence Payments with covid-19 classified as their primary reason for claiming that benefit are awaiting a tribunal hearing.
Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)
As of March 2021, a new code, ‘Coronavirus Covid-19’, has been added to the Personal Independence Payment (PIP) disability coding system in the Infectious disease, Viral disease B01-B10 section with other viral diseases.
Claimants under ‘Coronavirus Covid-19’ are a group of people who remain unwell at 12 weeks, with a wide variety of symptoms whose long-term prognosis is unknown. These people meet the diagnostic criteria for post Covid-19 syndrome. Some may recover in a few more months, some may recover over a longer time period. Others may remain unwell or become more unwell over time. Fluctuating functional impairment and wide-ranging symptoms that change over time seem to be a feature of the condition. It is those claimants who have significant functional impairment at 12 weeks who do not seem to be recovering, who may have entitlement to PIP. Claimants do not have to have had a positive test result to be diagnosed with the syndrome. Testing has not always been easily available.
For Personal Independence Payment (PIP) initial decisions made up to 30th June 2022, where ‘Coronavirus Covid-19’ was recorded as a claimant’s primary condition, there were 290 lodged appeals (8% of initial decisions) with no appeal outcome recorded by 30th September 2022.
Please note:
Asked by: Jonathan Ashworth (Labour (Co-op) - Leicester South)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people whose main disability is long Covid have (a) registered for, (b) been assessed for, (c) been awarded and (d) had their applications rejected for Personal Independence Payment as of 7 December 2022.
Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)
Information on conditions is not collected at registration. However, it is available when claimants have been through assessment.
Data on Personal Independence Payment (PIP) claims, with Long Covid as the primary condition up to July, can be found on Stat-Xplore. In particular, the ‘PIP clearances’ dataset includes the outcomes of PIP assessments and can be broken down by disability. ‘Coronavirus COVID-19’ can be found under the disability subcategory ‘Viral diseases’ which is under the main disability category of ‘Infectious disease’. Only the claimant’s main disabling condition is recorded on the department’s systems. Many people in receipt of PIP have more than one condition.
Data up to 7th December will be published in due course.
You can log in or access Stat-Xplore as a guest user and, if needed, you can access guidance on how to extract the information required.
Asked by: Justin Madders (Labour - Ellesmere Port and Neston)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people with long covid have been awarded the Personal Independence Payment (a) daily living standard, (b) daily living enhanced, (c) mobility standard and (d) mobility enhanced rate since March 2021.
Answered by Victoria Prentis - Attorney General
The latest available data on Personal Independence Payment (PIP) decisions split by type of decision (i.e. whether the claim was awarded, disallowed or withdrawn), main disabling condition, and Daily Living and Mobility award, can be found on Stat-Xplore.
The relevant categorisation is ‘Coronavirus Covid-19' and can be found under the disability subcategory ‘Viral diseases’ which is under the main disability category of ‘Infectious disease’.
Data is based on primary disabling condition as recorded on the PIP computer systems. Claimants may often have multiple disabling conditions upon which the decision is based but only the primary condition is available for statistical purposes and shown in these statistics. Therefore there may be other claimants where the ongoing impact of a Covid infection has influenced the award of PIP.
Guidance on how to use Stat-Xplore can be found here.
Asked by: John Spellar (Labour - Warley)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of classifying long covid as a condition eligible for Personal Independence Payments.
Answered by Chloe Smith
Personal Independence Payment (PIP) is intended to act as a contribution towards the extra costs that arise from needs related to a long-term health condition or disability. It is assessed on the basis of functional needs not a diagnosis or condition. The needs arising from long Covid are assessed in the same way as for all other health conditions or disabilities.
From March 2021 we amended PIP statistical classifications to include the category “Coronavirus COVID-19”. Data on the PIP caseload by a range of factors, including main disabling condition, can be extracted from Stat-Xplore (Stat-Xplore - Log in (dwp.gov.uk)) . Information on how to use Stat-Xplore can be found at Getting Started (dwp.gov.uk).
Asked by: Chi Onwurah (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne Central)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what financial support the Government is providing to extremely clinically vulnerable people who continue to shield and (a) are unable to seek employment and (b) are not in receipt of benefits because of the earnings of another household member.
Answered by Lucy Frazer - Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
The successful rollout of the vaccination programme and the emergence of proven treatments, along with our improved understanding of the virus and the clinical risks it poses, means that those previously classed as clinically extremely vulnerable (CEV) are no longer advised to shield. Most people who were previously identified as CEV respond well to the vaccine and should follow the same guidance as the general public on staying safe and preventing the spread of COVID-19: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/covid-19-coronavirus-restrictions-what-you-can-and-cannot-do. Those identified as CEV may also receive additional advice from their health professional.
The Government has provided separate guidance for the smaller number of people whose immune system means they remain at higher risk: www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-guidance-for-people-whose-immune-system-means-they-are-at-higher-risk/covid-19-guidance-for-people-whose-immune-system-means-they-are-at-higher-risk.
Many individuals who were previously identified as CEV will have a disability or long-term health condition, meaning that they may be entitled to non-means tested disability benefits. Personal Independence Payment (PIP) is the Government’s primary means of supporting working age adults with the extra costs arising from long-term ill health and disability. PIP is paid regardless of household income and irrespective of whether someone is in work. The Government will spend over £12.2 billion to support 2.1 million working age people on PIP in 2021-22.
Asked by: Jonathan Ashworth (Labour (Co-op) - Leicester South)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent estimate her Department has made of the number of people claiming disability benefits or universal credit who are experiencing long covid; and what plans her Department has to undertake future monitoring of the number of people receiving support from her Department who are experiencing long covid.
Answered by Chloe Smith
The Department publishes monthly Official Statistics on the number of people entitled to Personal Independence Payment (PIP) by main disabling condition. The Department also publishes quarterly National Statistics on the number of people entitled to, and in payment of, Disability Living Allowance (DLA) and Attendance Allowance (AA) by main disabling condition. Statistics are available to October 2021 for PIP, and August 2021 for DLA and AA on Stat-Xplore. Guidance for users is available here.
From March 2021 PIP, DLA and AA cases were able to have the disability or main disabling condition classified as "Coronavirus covid-19". These cases are long covid / post-covid syndrome cases, rather than initial covid-19 infection. Any individuals with long covid as their primary reason for claiming PIP, DLA or AA prior to March 2021 will not be classified as "Coronavirus covid-19". These cases will remain classified according to the disability recorded that links with the claimant’s functional needs.
For PIP statistics, the PIP Cases with Entitlement dataset allows you to view the number of PIP cases with entitlement split by disability. Coronavirus-19 can be selected by expanding ‘Infectious disease’ then ‘Viral diseases’. For DLA and AA, the respective DLA and AA: Cases with Entitlement – Data from May 2018 datasets have a category within the disability filter called ‘Infectious diseases: Viral disease - Coronavirus covid-19.’
Please note that data is based on primary disabling condition. This is as recorded on the administrative systems for PIP, DLA and AA. Claimants may often have multiple disabling conditions upon which the decision is based but only the primary condition is available for statistical purposes and shown in these statistics.
The information requested for Universal Credit is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost. There are currently no plans to provide such a breakdown.
Other people receiving support with long covid may include those receiving Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), however information is currently only available for high level medical conditions on Stat-Xplore and analysts are investigating if lower level conditions, including "Coronavirus covid-19", can be recorded and reported in the future.
Asked by: Vicky Foxcroft (Labour - Lewisham, Deptford)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to Part One of the National Disability Strategy published on 28 July 2021, what recent progress her Department has made on exploring options to reduce the frequency of repeat Work Capability Assessments and Personal Independence Payment assessments, to avoid assessments where a change of award is unlikely.
Answered by Chloe Smith
As announced in the recent Shaping Future Support: Health and Disability Green Paper we want to make changes to the assessment process so people with the most severe health conditions and disabilities have a simpler process to claim the benefits they are entitled to. We are exploring how to test a new Severe Disability Group (SDG) so those with severe and lifelong conditions can benefit from a simplified process to access ESA/UC and PIP without ever needing to complete a detailed application form or go through a face to assessment.
We have already stopped reassessments for people with the most severe conditions which are unlikely to change. In Shaping Future Support: The Health and Disability Green Paper, we proposed ways to further reduce the number of unnecessary assessments, while continuing to ensure support is properly targeted. Alongside this, we proposed ways of offering greater flexibility and simplicity in the way that assessments are delivered, including improving the evidence we use to make decisions from health assessments, and learn the lessons of coronavirus where we introduced telephone and video assessments.
We consulted on a range of proposals in the Green Paper and received more than 4,500 responses. We will set out next steps in a White Paper later this year.
Asked by: Marion Fellows (Scottish National Party - Motherwell and Wishaw)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment her Department has made of the (a) challenges and (b) merits of personal independence payment phone assessments.
Answered by Chloe Smith
During the coronavirus pandemic, we carried out assessments by telephone as a temporary measure. The feedback on telephone assessments has so far been positive: in a recent survey published by the Department, the majority of people who had a telephone assessment for PIP or for their WCA were ‘satisfied’ or ‘very satisfied’.
In Shaping Future Support: The Health and Disability Green Paper, we are consulting on the use of telephone and video assessments as an alternative to face-to-face in the future and want to fully evaluate their effectiveness. We have asked for views about the different ways to provide assessments, and how to improve telephone assessments to ensure they are as accurate and effective as possible. It is important that people continue to receive consistent and accurate decisions irrespective of the type of assessment they go through.
DWP Survey results of claimants who have received a telephone assessment are published here: Claimant experience of telephone-based health assessments for PIP, ESA and UC - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Asked by: Drew Hendry (Scottish National Party - Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 6 July 2021 to Question 28245 on Personal Independence Payments: Long Covid, how many people have applied for personal independence payments with covid-19 as a primary disability since March 2021.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
In the application process for Personal Independence Payment (PIP), a claimant’s main disabling condition is only recorded centrally on Departmental computer systems at assessment. Disabilities are not recorded centrally at the point of application. The Department does not therefore hold data on the number of applicants to PIP with particular conditions. Only those who have a disability assessment determination decision will have a main disabling condition recorded for them.
The latest available data on the number of people who have “Coronavirus COVID-19” recorded as their primary disability following assessment for PIP each month can be found on Stat-Xplore: https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/. As described in my response to Question 28245, this disabling condition has been available to record for PIP assessments following a computer system change in March 2021. Due to the nature of the qualifying period for PIP claims, these cases will all be “long COVID” or “post-COVID syndrome” cases rather than initial COVID-19 infections.
Guidance on how to use Stat-Xplore can be found here:
https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/index.html.