Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to ensure that concerns about (a) pain and (b) fatigue are considered in Personal Independence Payment assessments for claimants with (i) Crohn’s Disease and (ii) ulcerative Colitis.

Personal Independence Payment assessment providers are required to ensure that all health professionals (HP) carrying out assessments are experts in disability analysis, focusing on the effects of health conditions and impairments on the individual claimant's daily life.

Whilst HPs do not receive specific training relating to Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis, they have access to a range of resources as well as experienced clinicians to support them in assessing individuals with conditions that they may not be familiar with. Additionally, assessment providers engage with medical experts, charities, and relevant stakeholders to strengthen their training programmes. Capita recently developed a Condition Insight Report for HPs on Ulcerative Colitis in collaboration with Crohn’s and Colitis UK.

It is stressed in the HP training that, although a claimant may sometimes be able to perform a task, they may not be able to do so safely, to an acceptable standard, repeatedly, or in a reasonable time-period due to pain, fatigue etc. HPs are expected to take into consideration the invisible nature of fatigue and pain, which may be less easy to identify, when assessing the disabling effect of any condition, including Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis, on a claimant’s daily life. This is further explained in parts 1.6.29 and 1.6.35 of the PIP Assessment Guide available on GOV.UK.