Asked by: Lloyd Russell-Moyle (Labour (Co-op) - Brighton, Kemptown)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 17 July 2023 to Question 193236 on Personal Independence Payment: Medical Examinations, what steps his Department plans to take to ensure that personal independence payment reassessments registered in 2022 are reviewed as quickly as possible.
Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)
We are committed to ensuring people can access financial support through Personal Independence Payment (PIP) in a timely manner. We prioritise new claims, while ensuring
claimants awaiting award reviews remain in payment until we can make a decision.
We always aim to make an award review decision as quickly as possible, considering the need to review all available evidence, including that from the claimant.
In addition, and in order to improve the service across all PIP activities, we are also:
Claimants are asked to contact us if their condition changes so their review can be looked at more quickly.
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Wood Green)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to reduce waiting times for PIP assessments.
Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)
We are committed to ensuring that people can access financial support through Personal Independence Payment (PIP) in a timely manner. Reducing customer journey times for PIP claimants is a priority for the department and we are working constantly to make improvements to our service.
We always aim to make an award decision as quickly as possible, taking into account the need to review all available evidence, including that from the claimant.
We are continuing to see an improvement in PIP clearance times with the latest statistics showing that the average end-to-end journey has reduced each quarter from 26 weeks in August 2021 to 13 weeks at the end of April 2023. This is because we’re:
Asked by: Lloyd Russell-Moyle (Labour (Co-op) - Brighton, Kemptown)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many PIP reassessments from 2022 are outstanding.
Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)
On 30th April 2023, there were 220,000 Personal Independence Payment (PIP) Award Reviews registered in 2022 that were awaiting a decision.
Claimants awaiting an assessment to review their PIP will continue to be paid until the review is complete. Should a claimant have a change in their circumstances, they are advised to notify the department and their award will be prioritised for review.
We always aim to make an award decision as quickly as possible, considering the need to review all available evidence, including that from the claimant. Where possible, we are making decisions without referral to the assessment providers and maintaining awards for those undergoing a review.
Source: PIP Atomic Data Store (ADS)
Notes:
Asked by: Olivia Blake (Labour - Sheffield, Hallam)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of Personal Independence Payment assessments were carried out (a) face-to-face, (b) remotely and (c) on paper in each month since 1 September 2022.
Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)
The number and proportion of Personal Independence Payment (PIP) assessments carried out (a) face to face (b) remotely (this includes telephone and video) and (c) paper based can be found in the tables below.
For the months from September 2022 to May 2023 (the latest month figures are available) the number of assessments per channel are:
Month | Face-to-Face | Remote | Paper-Based |
Sep-22 | 6,440 | 62,530 | 15,540 |
Oct-22 | 7,080 | 65,380 | 15,990 |
Nov-22 | 7,540 | 71,150 | 18,340 |
Dec-22 | 5,260 | 52,530 | 13,810 |
Jan-23 | 6,150 | 72,800 | 17,750 |
Feb-23 | 6,880 | 65,810 | 17,420 |
Mar-23 | 7,210 | 78,130 | 20,200 |
Apr-23 | 6,610 | 59,680 | 16,260 |
May-23 | 7,290 | 68,460 | 18,600 |
The channel proportion is:
Month | Face-to-Face | Remote | Paper-Based |
Sep-22 | 7.6% | 74.0% | 18.4% |
Oct-22 | 8.0% | 73.9% | 18.1% |
Nov-22 | 7.8% | 73.3% | 18.9% |
Dec-22 | 7.3% | 73.4% | 19.3% |
Jan-23 | 6.4% | 75.3% | 18.4% |
Feb-23 | 7.6% | 73.0% | 19.3% |
Mar-23 | 6.8% | 74.0% | 19.1% |
Apr-23 | 8.0% | 72.3% | 19.7% |
May-23 | 7.7% | 72.6% | 19.7% |
Please note:
Asked by: Selaine Saxby (Conservative - North Devon)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of Personal Independence Payment assessments were carried out (a) face-to-face, (b) remotely and (c) on paper in each month since 1 September 2022.
Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)
The number and proportion of Personal Independence Payment (PIP) assessments carried out (a) face to face (b) remotely (this includes telephone and video) and (c) paper based can be found in the tables below.
For the months from September 2022 to May 2023 (the latest month figures are available) the number of assessments per channel are:
Month | Face-to-Face | Remote | Paper-Based |
Sep-22 | 6,440 | 62,530 | 15,540 |
Oct-22 | 7,080 | 65,380 | 15,990 |
Nov-22 | 7,540 | 71,150 | 18,340 |
Dec-22 | 5,260 | 52,530 | 13,810 |
Jan-23 | 6,150 | 72,800 | 17,750 |
Feb-23 | 6,880 | 65,810 | 17,420 |
Mar-23 | 7,210 | 78,130 | 20,200 |
Apr-23 | 6,610 | 59,680 | 16,260 |
May-23 | 7,290 | 68,460 | 18,600 |
The channel proportion is:
Month | Face-to-Face | Remote | Paper-Based |
Sep-22 | 7.6% | 74.0% | 18.4% |
Oct-22 | 8.0% | 73.9% | 18.1% |
Nov-22 | 7.8% | 73.3% | 18.9% |
Dec-22 | 7.3% | 73.4% | 19.3% |
Jan-23 | 6.4% | 75.3% | 18.4% |
Feb-23 | 7.6% | 73.0% | 19.3% |
Mar-23 | 6.8% | 74.0% | 19.1% |
Apr-23 | 8.0% | 72.3% | 19.7% |
May-23 | 7.7% | 72.6% | 19.7% |
Please note:
Asked by: Wendy Chamberlain (Liberal Democrat - North East Fife)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average waiting time was for a Personal Independence Payment assessment in the latest period for which data is available.
Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)
This information is readily available. It is published quarterly as part of the Personal Independence Payment (PIP) statistics on GOV.UK and can be found within the PIP: Clearance/Outstanding Times and Customer Journey statistics tables.
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, pursuant to the Answer of 04 May to Question 182900 on Personal Independence Payment: Medical Examinations, what evidence his Department took into consideration when assessing whether those criteria were the most suitable way of assessing people with fluctuating conditions.
Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)
The Personal Independence Payment (PIP) assessment was developed in an iterative, transparent and consultative manner, in collaboration with a wide range of experts and through comprehensive public consultation between 2010-2011, prior to PIP being enacted in 2013. The findings of this consultation informed the development of the assessment criteria set out in regulations.
All health professionals are required to assess individuals in line with the statutory requirements, including: whether an individual can complete each of the 12 activities; the manner in which they can do it; whether they can complete each activity “safely, to an acceptable standard, repeatedly and in a reasonable time period”.
When choosing the descriptor, the health professional should also consider an individual’s ability over a 12-month period, ensuring that fluctuations are taken into account. For each activity, if a descriptor applies on more than 50 per cent of the days in the 12-month period, that descriptor should be chosen. In general, health professionals should record function over an average year for conditions that fluctuate over months, per week for conditions that fluctuate by the day, and by the day for conditions that vary over a day.
Many of the changes set out in Transforming Support: The Health and Disability White Paper aim to improve our assessment of fluctuating conditions, such as the way we use medical evidence, and developing the capability of our assessors. We will also explore options for introducing a new way of gathering evidence of fluctuation in a person’s condition before their assessment.
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 the policy paper entitled Transforming Support: The Health and Disability White Paper, published on 15 March 2023, what evidence his Department took into consideration when assessing whether the (a) 20-metre rule and (b) other criteria within the Personal Independence Payment mobility assessment were the best way of identifying people whose physical mobility is most limited.
Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)
Transforming Support: The Health and Disability White Paper responds to feedback from The Health and Disability Green Paper consultation and sets out proposals to support more disabled people and people with health conditions to start, stay, and succeed in work, as well as to improve the overall experience of, and trust in, the benefits system. We will continue to work with disabled people, people with health conditions, and their representatives, to reach the important goals set out in the White Paper.
We believe the current Personal Independence Payment (PIP) assessment criteria, including the 20-metre rule, are the best way of identifying people whose physical mobility is most limited and there are no immediate plans to make changes. The enhanced rate of the PIP mobility component was always intended to be for those "unable" or "virtually unable" to walk. The 20-metre distance was introduced to distinguish those whose mobility is significantly more limited than others and who face even greater barriers on a day-to-day basis. Individuals who can walk more than 20 metres can still receive the enhanced rate of the mobility component if they cannot do so safely, to an acceptable standard, repeatedly or in a reasonable time period.
Asked by: Rupa Huq (Labour - Ealing Central and Acton)
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 removing (a) the 20-metre rule, (b) informal observations and (c) the 50 per cent rule from Personal Independence Payment assessments.
Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)
The enhanced rate of the Personal Independence Payment (PIP) mobility component was always intended to be for those "unable" or "virtually unable" to walk. The 20-metre distance was introduced to distinguish those whose mobility is significantly more limited than others and who face even greater barriers on a day-to-day basis. Individuals who can walk more than 20 metres can still receive the enhanced rate of the Mobility component if they cannot do so safely, to an acceptable standard, repeatedly or in a reasonable time period. We believe the current assessment criteria, including the 20-metre rule, are the best way of identifying people whose physical mobility is most limited and there are no immediate plans to make changes.
Whilst the PIP assessment does allow for informal observations of functional limitations, this is only part of the suite of evidence considered by health professionals. Informal observations are not viewed in isolation, they are considered alongside all other available evidence to determine entitlement. The observations are limited to between the point the assessment starts to when the assessment ends; the health professional (HP) cannot document observations made outside of this period. This is useful in assessing functional capability and there are no current plans to stop this.
It is essential the PIP assessment accurately reflects the impact of variations in an individual's level of impairment. All health professionals are required to assess individuals in line with the statutory requirements, including: whether an individual can complete each of the 12 activities; the manner in which they can do it; whether they can complete each activity “safely, to an acceptable standard, repeatedly and in a reasonable time period”. When choosing the descriptor, the health professional should also consider an individual’s ability over a 12-month period, ensuring that fluctuations are taken into account. For each activity, if a descriptor applies on more than 50 per cent of the days in the 12-month period, that descriptor should be chosen. In general, health professionals should record function over an average year for conditions that fluctuate over months, per week for conditions that fluctuate by the day, and by the day for conditions that vary over a day.
The department closely monitors all aspects of the assessment process, including how we assess fluctuating health conditions; however, there are no current plans to remove the 50 per cent rule.
Asked by: Kate Osamor (Independent - Edmonton)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 11 January 2023 to Question 117740 on Personal Independence Payment: Medical Examinations, if she will publish a breakdown of the audit assessment grades given to (a) Atos and (b) Capita for Personal Independent Payments assessments in each year since 2018.
Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)
Referring to our previous answer to PQ88966, we currently have no plans to publish audit results for Independent Assessment Services (IAS)/Atos and Capita. This includes publishing a breakdown of audit assessment grades given for Personal Independence Payment (PIP) assessments.
Provider performance is measured across a range of service level agreements (SLAs) setting out the department's expectations for service delivery. These include quality, performance delivery targets and customer experience. When requested in Parliamentary Questions and Freedom of Information requests, we do publish all the relevant data available. The monthly quality audit performance against the SLA target for IAS and Capita for the period January 2014 to April 2022 has already been published as part of the answer to PQ26035.