Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans her Department has to continue (a) paper and (b) telephone assessments for (i) personal independence payment and (ii) disability living allowance after the covid-19 outbreak; and if she will make a statement.

Paper based assessments of entitlement to Disability Living Allowance have always been offered in preference to other forms of assessment and will continue as normal.

Paper based assessments have also always been a feature of Personal Independence Payment (PIP). Face-to-face assessment are currently suspended and are being kept under review. We will be considering the next steps for PIP assessments and how we could re-introduce face-to-face assessments when it is safe and operationally feasible to do so, our key priority being the health and safety of our claimants and our staff.