Asked by: Graeme Downie (Labour - Dunfermline and Dollar)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether the effects of ADHD on daily life are included in PIP assessments.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Personal Independence Payment (PIP) is designed to help with the extra costs that arise from long-term health conditions or disabilities. Entitlement is determined by the functional impact a person’s condition has on their daily living and mobility activities. The assessment looks at an individual’s ability to carry out a series of key everyday activities which are fundamental to living an independent life. This approach applies to all conditions.
Health professionals delivering assessments receive comprehensive training in disability analysis including specific training on health conditions and how to identify their impact on claimants’ ability to carry out the activities in the assessment.
PIP case managers consider information provided by claimants on claim forms, along with any other supporting evidence, further medical evidence that we receive from treating health professionals, and advice from our contracted assessment providers.
Asked by: Graeme Downie (Labour - Dunfermline and Dollar)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether proof of a ADHD diagnosis is required for its impact on daily life to be included in a PIP assessment.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Personal Independence Payment (PIP) is designed to help with the extra costs that arise from long-term health conditions or disabilities. Entitlement is determined by the functional impact a person’s condition has on their daily living and mobility activities. The assessment looks at an individual’s ability to carry out a series of key everyday activities which are fundamental to living an independent life. This approach applies to all conditions.
Health professionals delivering assessments receive comprehensive training in disability analysis including specific training on health conditions and how to identify their impact on claimants’ ability to carry out the activities in the assessment.
PIP case managers consider information provided by claimants on claim forms, along with any other supporting evidence, further medical evidence that we receive from treating health professionals, and advice from our contracted assessment providers.
Asked by: Graeme Downie (Labour - Dunfermline and Dollar)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what evidence of a ADHD diagnosis on the impact on daily life is required for PIP assessments.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Personal Independence Payment (PIP) is designed to help with the extra costs that arise from long-term health conditions or disabilities. Entitlement is determined by the functional impact a person’s condition has on their daily living and mobility activities. The assessment looks at an individual’s ability to carry out a series of key everyday activities which are fundamental to living an independent life. This approach applies to all conditions.
Health professionals delivering assessments receive comprehensive training in disability analysis including specific training on health conditions and how to identify their impact on claimants’ ability to carry out the activities in the assessment.
PIP case managers consider information provided by claimants on claim forms, along with any other supporting evidence, further medical evidence that we receive from treating health professionals, and advice from our contracted assessment providers.
Asked by: Graeme Downie (Labour - Dunfermline and Dollar)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people with Parkinson's Disease are in receipt of the Universal Credit health element.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The information is not readily available.
Asked by: Graeme Downie (Labour - Dunfermline and Dollar)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people with Parkinson's get contribution based Employment Support Allowance and are allocated to the Support Group.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
As of May 2025, there were 1,800 claimants in receipt of contributory Employment and Support Allowance in the Support Group with the main disabling condition ‘Parkinson’s disease or syndrome’. In the same month, there were 300 claimants in receipt of contributory Employment and Support Allowance in the Support Group with the main disabling condition ‘Parkinsonism’.
Data is based on primary medical condition as recorded on the ESA computer systems. Claimants may have multiple disabling conditions on which their entitlement is based but only the primary condition is available for statistical purposes and shown in these statistics.
Asked by: Graeme Downie (Labour - Dunfermline and Dollar)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people with Parkinson's Disease listed as their primary condition are in receipt of the Universal Credit health element.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The information requested is not held by the Department.
A defined ‘primary condition’ is not recorded at the Universal Credit Work Capability Assessment (WCA).
Asked by: Graeme Downie (Labour - Dunfermline and Dollar)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what guidance his Department has issued on whether people on Universal Credit are entitled to raise funds for the purpose of standing for election.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Funding received and managed by local and national political parties would not be taken into account in assessing an individual’s entitlement for Universal Credit (UC). Money received personally by an individual, including for their political purposes, is generally treated as capital in UC, and can affect eligibility and payment amounts if a customer’s total capital exceeds £6,000. There are no plans to review these rules.