Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to her Department's pilot of a single system for disability assessments announced in March 2020, how the single assessment system will encompass the descriptors used to assess personal independence payments, limited capability for work under universal credit (UC), limited capability for work and work related activity of UC, limited capability for work under employment and support allowance (ESA) and limited capability for work and work related activity under ESA; and if she will set out how the single assessment process will work.

On 02 March 2020 we announced plans regarding the single, integrated service that will simplify the assessment process for millions of people claiming health related benefits. Announcement on Health and Disability Assessments.

Today separate organisations deliver PIP assessments and Work Capability Assessments using different IT systems; we will replace this with a single digital platform delivered by DWP and covering all benefits that need a health assessment. The new service will simplify the assessment process reducing the need to submit information multiple times and potentially minimise the need for face-to-face assessments.

Building on the work of the integrated service, the Department announced it would study the feasibility of using a single assessment for PIP and ESA/UC to establish if this would improve the assessment process for claimants who are eligible to be assessed for these benefits at the same time. We have recently concluded the study, which involved discussions with key stakeholders, as well as research and analysis to examine how a single assessment could work in practice with a sharp focus on whether it would improve the claimant experience. The Department will be reviewing the evidence from this study before determining next steps.

The Government is committed to continuously improving the experience for customers with health conditions and disabilities and the upcoming Green Paper on health and disability support will seek to address this further.