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 effectiveness of (a) PIP and (b) Employment and Support Allowance medical consultations.

Personal Independence Payment and Employment and Support Allowance assessments are not medical consultations requiring a health professional (HP) to diagnose a condition, its severity or recommend treatment options. They are functional assessments, which require an HP to look at the impact of conditions and impairments on an individual’s daily life.

All assessment providers (APs) have set standards regarding the quality of assessments. The department closely monitors all aspects of the process including the performance of the APs.

Independent audit, a team comprising of experienced HPs, continually monitors performance and provides feedback to providers. Audit refers to a comprehensive check of the elements of the assessment, including the evidence collection, further evidence provided, and the assessment report completed by the HP. The check is completed against a set of guidelines to ensure a consistent approach is taken. This ensures that assessment reports are fit for purpose, clinically justified and sound, and provide sufficient information for the department to make an informed decision on entitlement to benefit.

In addition, the department’s Health Transformation Programme (HTP) is modernising health and disability benefit services. It will create a more efficient service, an improved claimant experience and help increase trust in decision making. Furthermore, an ongoing programme of engagement and research has been established to ensure that the design and delivery of the HTP is rooted in evidence.