Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he has taken to reduce waiting times for PIP assessments.

We are committed to ensuring people can access financial support through Personal Independence Payment (PIP) in a timely manner.  Reducing customer journey times for PIP claimants is a priority for the department and we are working constantly to make improvements to our service.

We always aim to make an award decision as quickly as possible, taking into account the need to review all available evidence, including that from the claimant.

We have seen a decrease in PIP clearance times, with the latest statistics showing that the average end-to-end journey has reduced from 26 weeks in August 2021 to 15 weeks at the end of July 2023. This is because we’re:

• using a blend of phone, video and face-to-face assessments to support customers and deliver a more efficient and user-centred service;
• increasing case manager and assessment provider health professional resource; and
• prioritising new claims, while ensuring that claimants awaiting award reviews do not fall out of payment through no fault of their own.

In addition, the Health Transformation Programme (HTP) is modernising health and disability benefit services to create a more efficient service, to reduce processing times and improving trust in our services and decisions. As part of this, from July 2023, a limited number of claimants have been able to begin their claim for PIP entirely online, which we aim to roll out across England, Wales and Northern Ireland by the end of 2024.