Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he has taken to improve the personal independence payment assessment process for people with epilepsy.

New claims are now being cleared in under a third of the time they were in July 2014, with the average time taken to clear a new claim 12 weeks from registration to decision. We are committed to ensuring that all our processes work effectively across the spectrum of disabilities and health conditions, including mental health conditions, cognitive impairments, physical disabilities and conditions that fluctuate such as epilepsy. We recognise that for some individuals with epilepsy, attending a consultation at an unfamiliar location could create an element of anxiety. We have made it very clear that when attending a face-to-face consultation, claimants can bring someone with them in order to support them or help them manage any anxiety they may feel. In some cases we will also carry out consultations in claimants’ homes.