Personal Independence Payment: Medical Examinations
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of mandating in-person appointments for personal independent payment assessments.
Answered by Sir Stephen Timms
The Department is committed to assessing people as quickly as possible to ensure they receive the support they are entitled to in a timely manner.
Where there is sufficient available evidence, assessments are done by paper-based review, without the need for a formal consultation. If an in-person consultation is required this is completed either face-to-face, via telephone or via video call.
We announced in the Pathways to Work Green Paper our intention to increase the number of face-to-face assessments, while preserving alternative health assessment channels to meet the specific needs of people who require them, for example as a reasonable adjustment. We are committed to continuing a multi-channel assessment service approach to meet the obligations of the Equality Act 2010.
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