PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
Social Security Benefits (22 November 2017)

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to improve the quality of (a) assessments (b) subsequent decisions and (c) mandatory reconsideration for (i) Personal Independence Payment and (ii) Employment and Support Allowance.

Asked by:
Marsha De Cordova (Labour)

The Department is continually working to improve the claimant journeys for Personal Independence Payment and Employment and Support Allowance, including working with our assessment providers to further improve the quality of assessments by clinical coaching, feedback and the support available to each assessor.

There are strands of work in progress to drive continuous improvement in the decision making and appeals processes. These include the recruitment of approximately 150 Presenting Officers across both benefits, who are providing valuable insight into why decisions are overturned at appeal. This in turn will help to identify improvements that can be made at all stages of the claimant journey – including the assessment, initial decision and mandatory reconsideration stages. Furthermore, the Department is running a series of tests which explore the different ways we can improve evidence gathering and the quality of our decision making.

Answered by:
Sarah Newton (Conservative)
30 November 2017