Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to reduce waiting times on the personal independence payment helplines.

Telephone calls remain the primary contact method for Personal Independence Payment (PIP) customers. Call traffic has increased significantly on the PIP enquiry line and during particularly busy periods there have been longer wait times than we would like.

We have deployed additional resources onto the enquiry line, including recruitment of more staff. Additionally, we have introduced new technology that will improve information for customers when they first call, and simplified the identity and verification process. These enhancements will increase call handling efficiency and improve the customer experience.

We are also developing new and better SMS messages to keep customers up to date and better informed. This will reduce the need for customers to contact the PIP enquiry line.