Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many personal independence payment applications in Wales have waited longer than (a) one month, (b) three months and (c) six months to be assessed by Capita; what progress has been made in reducing such waiting times in Wales; and if he will make a statement.

Information on the number of cases awaiting individual assessments is not routinely supplied and is not published data. Departmental statisticians are continuing to develop measures around clearance times and waiting times to ensure they provide a rounded and representative picture of Personal Independence Payment system performance, improvement activity and the claimants’ experience. These statistics will be published when they are ready, with the release pre-announced in line with United Kingdom Statistics Authority release protocols.