Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department have made of the potential merits of changing the requirements of past presence tests for social security benefits to take account of peoples inability to travel during the covid-19 pandemic.

The past presence test (PPT) is a qualifying condition for the DWP disability and carer benefits and ensures claimants have a substantial and recent connection to the UK.

There are a number of exemptions to the PPT which are clearly set out in secondary legislation. The PPT policy is kept under review and changes are made when appropriate, as shown by the amendments that have been made over the last few years in response to different situations; for example, introducing exemptions for refugees, those granted humanitarian status and for some people fleeing the conflicts in Afghanistan and Ukraine.

Claimants who were abroad and could not return to Great Britain due to travel restrictions during the COVID-19 epidemic were advised that they could continue to be paid for as long as those restrictions remained in place. Once restrictions were lifted, allowing for travel back, then claimants were expected to do so if they wanted to continue to receive payment.