Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Personal Independence Payment

Monday 13 May 2024 · 2 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 2 Not answered 0

Key points

  • The time taken to process a new PIP claim fell from 26 weeks in August 2021 to 15 weeks at the end of January 2024.
  • The Minister could not comment on the specific case mentioned by Helen Morgan due to its individual nature.
  • The processing times for PIP claims are now quicker than during the pandemic, standing at 15 weeks.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Helen Morgan Lib Dem North Shropshire
Benefits & Welfare
Context

The question arises from concerns over the adequacy and efficiency of PIP claim processing times.

Question

What assessment he has made of the adequacy of the average time taken to decide the outcome of personal independence payment applications.

Answer from Mel Stride

The time taken to process a new PIP claim fell from 26 weeks in August 2021 to 15 weeks at the end of January this year.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not address whether the current average time is adequate for determining outcomes, only provided processing times.

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Q2 Helen Morgan Lib Dem North Shropshire
Benefits & Welfare
Context

A constituent waited four months for an appeal and another month to correct paperwork errors, describing the process as a 'shambles'. Another described it as a 'highly stressful, bureaucratic nightmare'.

Question

I have recently helped a constituent who waited four months for an appeal against an initial PIP decision. The paperwork for that decision was incorrect—it referred to another person; we do not know who that person was—and it took another four months to correct that, and another month to pay her. Another constituent has described it as a “highly stressful, bureaucratic nightmare”. Will the Secretary of State give us some reassurance that his Department is working to speed up the process and make it more dignified for those people applying for help?

Answer from Mel Stride

I set out the improvement in the processing times that people have been experiencing. In fact, we are now at 15 weeks—that was the figure at the end of January—which is quicker than was the case during the pandemic. I cannot comment on the individual circumstances that the hon. Lady has identified, but I will of course be happy to look at the matter that she has raised.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not commit to any specific actions or timelines for improving the process beyond acknowledging current processing times are better than during the pandemic.

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