Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what guidance his Department issues on the assessment of (a) rare conditions and (b) hereditary angioedema for personal independence payment claims.

The assessment for Personal Independence Payment (PIP) is designed to treat people as individuals, considering the impact of their impairment or health condition on their everyday life and how each claimant has personally adapted to living with a disability.

The assessment is carried out by registered health professionals who have specialist training in assessing the impact of disability and health conditions on an individual’s functional ability, including some rare conditions. Prior to carrying out an assessment they routinely refresh their knowledge of any condition with which they are not fully familiar.

The PIP Assessment Guide for Health Professionals includes guidance on the assessment criteria and how they should be applied. This guidance can be accessed on the gov.uk website:

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/449043/pip-assessment-guide.pdf

Since its inception, all aspects of the PIP assessment process have been continually reviewed and refined in order to improve its efficiency, effectiveness and the experience of all claimants including those with rare conditions. As part of this continuous improvement process, Paul Gray CB is undertaking the second independent review of the PIP assessment.

The review will look at all stages of the PIP process, with a particular focus on the use of further evidence in the claim process, data sharing and the claimant experience. The terms of reference were published in July and can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/534681/terms-of-reference-pip-second-independent-review.pdf. The report will be laid before Parliament by April 2017.