Personal Independence Payment: Medical Examinations

(asked on 20th December 2017) - View Source

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answers of 20 December 2017 to Questions 119457, 119458, 119459, and 119461, and with reference to the paper entitled Work and Pensions Select Committee PIP and ESA Assessments inquiry: Supporting Statistics, published by his Department on 4 December 2017, what mechanisms are in place to improve the conduct of personal independence payment assessments for people whose primary health condition is among those most likely to have a decision overturned at Mandatory Reconsideration.


Answered by
Sarah Newton Portrait
Sarah Newton
This question was answered on 10th January 2018

DWP keep a very close eye on the providers of the PIP assessment to make sure that the quality of the service they provide is as high as it should be. We are continually working with the assessment providers to further improve the quality of assessments including clinical coaching, feedback and support available to each assessor.

When a decision is overturned (either at Mandatory Reconsideration or Appeal) it does not necessarily mean the original decision was wrong. Many claimants provide additional evidence not available to the Assessment Provider/DWP. Mandatory Reconsideration figures also include claims where claimants have not attended their assessment or returned their forms.

Reticulating Splines