Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the Written Statement of 20 September 2021, Personal Independence Payment (PIP) Update, HCWS294, what additional support her Department plans to provide to those who request it and whose PIP claim is awaiting review as part of the Administrative Exercise.

We are committed to ensuring that claimants receive the PIP support they are entitled to. The Department is contacting claimants who may be affected and we may ask for further information about the help they needed. We want to ensure we have all the relevant evidence when making a decision and get the right outcome for claimants when reviewing their claim, as part of the administrative exercise.

We recognise that the Department comes into contact with some claimants who are potentially very vulnerable. That is why claimants with a severe mental health or behavioural condition, learning disability, developmental disorder or cognitive problems, who may have difficulty engaging with the process, and with no support network in place, can be provided with additional support during the process if they need it.

This support can include arranging to speak to a representative, carer or other support worker at a convenient time and allowing additional time to provide further information. Where we identify there may be an impact on health, safety and wellbeing of an individual when they receive an arrears payment as part of the exercise, we will work with claimants to understand their needs and seek to help them in identifying and accessing the help that they require.