Personal Independence Payment
(asked on 11th January 2018) - View Source
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she has taken to make the PIP application process more user-friendly for severely disabled people.
The Department is continually working to improve the claimant journey for Personal Independence Payment (PIP) for all claimants including those severely disabled. We have recently conducted a review of all claimant communications, as explained in the Government’s response to the second independent review of the PIP assessment carried out by Paul Gray. The response can be accessed from here:
Improvements we have made include introducing the Video Relay Service for those with communication difficulties who use British Sign Language (BSL) so they are able to communicate with the Department more easily and also ‘Next Generation Text’ (NGT) for Deaf or hard of hearing claimants unable to use BSL or those unable to speak.
For vulnerable claimants with no support available and who may not be able to engage with the claim process due to reduced mental capacity may be able to receive a visit from a DWP Visiting Officer to help them complete the PIP claim form.
Where there is sufficient evidence available, a decision on entitlement to PIP can be made without the need for a face-to-face assessment with a Healthcare Professional. If a claimant is invited to attend an assessment and has difficulties travelling due to a severe disability they can discuss with the assessment provider to arrange potential rescheduling or have a home visit if they are unable to travel.