Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what average time was taken between an employment and support allowance applicant undergoing a work capability assessment and advice being submitted to a decision maker for decision in the most recent year for which data is available.

Completed assessment reports are available to the Department within 24 hours of the assessment taking place.

A regular sample of cases is submitted for audit before being available to the Department. For the last year around 9% of cases were audited, these being available to the Department in an average of 15 working days after the assessment.