Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure Independent Assessment Service assessment centres accommodate the needs of people with autistic spectrum conditions.

All Independent Assessment Services (IAS) centres meet the department’s required accessibility requirements. In addition, IAS have plans in place to use their claimant champion stakeholder network to work with autism groups to improve the experience in centres for claimants with autistic spectrum conditions.

IAS PIP claimant communications were reviewed by the National Autistic Society with feedback being received that map/directions which include exterior centre photos were particularly helpful for autistic claimants to allow them to orientate before arriving.