Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department will consider introducing a supported entry pathway into PIP and Work Capability Assessment roles for newly qualified nurses.

The department keeps its approach to recruitment for Personal Independence Payment and Work Capability Assessment health professionals (HPs) under continuous review, to ensure it supports high-quality, safe and consistent assessments for claimants.

At present, all HPs undertaking these assessments are required to meet established professional standards, hold current registration and have relevant post-registration clinical experience. These requirements are in place to ensure assessments are carried out safely, and that quality, audit and assurance standards are met.

Any changes to entry requirements would need to demonstrate that HPs are suitably qualified and experienced to undertake assessments effectively, without compromising the safety of claimants or the integrity of the assessment process.