Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 13 April 2016 to Question 32963, how many personal independence payment awards were made without a face-to-face assessment in (a) the UK, (b) Scotland and (c) Kilmarnock and Loudoun constituency in 2015-16; and what the total number of personal independence payment assessments was in each of those areas.

The information requested on how many Personal Independence Payment (PIP) awards were made without a face-to-face assessment is not readily available, and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Information on PIP clearances by type (e.g. awarded, disallowed or withdrawn) for both new claims and reassessed claims (for those previously in receipt of Disability Living Allowance (DLA)) is available at Great Britain, Regional, Parliamentary Constituency and Local Authority level, and is published on Gov.UK: https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk

By adding together the number of claims ‘awarded’ and the number of claims ‘disallowed post referral to the Assessment Provider’, it is possible to calculate the total number of assessments in each area (whether carried out face to face or through a paper based review).

Guidance on how to use Stat-Xplore can be found here: https://sw.stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/index.html.