Personal Independence Payment: Medical Examinations
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many PIP assessments required the use of (a) an interpreter and (b) translation services in the period since July 2024.
Answered by Sir Stephen Timms
The Functional Assessment Service contracts launched on 9 September 2024. Between then and the end of January 2026, across all delivery areas, a total of 230,000 Personal Independence Payment (PIP) assessments were completed with a translator present.
This includes British Sign Language, Irish Sign Language and lip speaking services, and is not limited to spoken language interpretation.
These numbers are based on completed assessments by either face-to-face, telephone or video where a request for an interpreter or translator was met and are rounded in line with statistical disclosure protocols.
Prior to September 2024, the department does not hold this data for all delivery areas in the outgoing assessment contracts.
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