Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make it his policy to publish the personal independence payment application form on his Department's website in an interactive form; what assessment he made of the difficulties claimants have in completing those forms in long hand; and if he will make a statement.

The Personal Independence Payment application form is normally completed by telephone although we are committed to providing an on-line PIP claim and the Department is working with disability representative organisations to develop a secure and accessible on-line service. More information about the Department's Digital Strategy launched in December 2012 is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dwp-digital-strategy

Once we have established the claimant has met basic entitlement conditions relating to age and residence, a form called ‘How your disability affects you’ and an information booklet will be issued by post. The claimant can use this form to describe in their own words how their health condition or disability affects their daily life using a combination of free text and tick boxes, and has one calendar month to return it. The 'How your disability affects you' questionnaire was tested with claimants who have a range of health conditions and impairments, to ensure it was easier to complete than the DLA claim form.

These forms can be filled in with the support of friends, carers and family members. Claimants can approach support organisations to help them. Additional support is available through the DWP Visiting Service for claimants who are in vulnerable situations and do not have anyone to help them.