Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the impact of the introduction of phone and video face-to-face assessments for Personal Independence Payment (PIP) on the time taken for new claimants of PIP to receive their benefits.

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is committed to assessing people as quickly as possible, in order that they receive the benefit(s) and support they are entitled to in a timely manner.

The assessment method has no bearing on the time taken for new claimants of PIP to receive their benefits.

DWP worked at pace with its providers to deliver telephone and video assessments, changing from face-to-face assessments with minimum delay to the service for claimants. Without this pivot to virtual assessments, it would not have been possible to assess Personal Independence Payment (PIP) claims at all, during periods of strict Covid-19 restrictions.

Any future decisions about delivery channels will be evidence-based and to ensure this, DWP will draw on existing evidence, as well as continuing to build understanding via research and analysis.