Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how the Government monitors whether the assessment criteria for personal independence payments are being accurately and fairly applied.

We are committed to ensuring that all Personal Independence Payment claimants receive high-quality and accurate assessments.

The Department robustly monitors the performance of contracted suppliers and assessments are independently audited to ensure that assessment quality is accurate and fair. The audit supports this by confirming that independent health professional advice complies with the required standards and that it is clear and medically reasonable. It also provides assurance that advice provided to the Department's decision makers is of suitable quality, is fully explained and is justified.