Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 6 March 2023 to Question 154053 on Disability Living Allowance and Personal Independence Payment, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of safeguards to prevent vulnerable claimants’ claims falling out of payment.

Some claimants may not be able to engage effectively with the Personal Independence Payment (PIP) claims process due to vulnerability – for example, they may not understand the consequences of not returning a claim or review form and not have a personal acting body (PAB) to help them. Claimants identified as requiring additional support (AS) during the gathering of initial claim information, or at a later date in the claimant journey, can have an AS marker added to their claim. Elements of the PIP claims process have been adapted to provide further support for this group, including not disallowing them for non-return of a form.

The PIP Assessment Guide is guidance for health professionals carrying out assessments and includes a section (1.12) on identifying claimants who require AS to engage with the PIP application process.

We regularly review the use of the AS marker to ensure it continues to protect those who find it difficult to engage with the PIP process.