Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many outstanding (a) employment and support allowance and (b) personal independence payment assessments for Scottish claimants there were in each of the last four quarters for which information is available.

The numbers of Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) initial work capability assessments (WCAs) still in progress in Scotland in the last four quarters for which information is available are as follows:

Source: Data is derived from administrative data held by the DWP and assessment data provided by the healthcare provider.

Outstanding WCA referrals in Scotland reduced between March 2015 (the start of CHDA contract) and December 2015 with the subsequent increase in outstanding referrals being in part due to the reintroduction of re-referrals from December 2015.

The numbers of Personal Independence Payment cases still in progress with the assessment provider in Scotland in the last four quarters for which information is available are as follows:

Source: Data taken from the PIP computer system’s management information