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<p>The Personal Independence Payment (PIP) application process is kept under continual
review to ensure it meets the needs of claimants and helps the department reach an
accurate assessment of an individual’s entitlement. Since PIP was introduced, we have
introduced a range of accessibility improvements such as the Video Relay Service and
Relay UK, improved the clarity of the PIP2 questionnaire to make it easier to complete,
expanded the assessment methods to include video and telephone, and introduced recording
by request for telephone and face-to-face appointments. Claimants are also kept informed
and updated at each stage of the application process, including through our improved
text message service.</p><p> </p><p>Alongside this, the Health Transformation Programme
is transforming the entire PIP service which will reduce the time it will take to
process a claim and create a vastly improved claimant experience and a more efficient
service for the taxpayer. We will introduce an option to apply for PIP online, giving
claimants a greater choice in how they interact with the DWP and the ability to save,
resume and upload medical evidence. We are currently operating a small-scale test
of the new online apply service, taking a small number of claims to begin with before
we gradually and carefully increase the number of people using the service. This approach
allows us to develop, test and evaluate the service, exploring and making improvements
as we gradually increase its availability. We are also exploring options to re-use
evidence we currently hold, removing the need for claimants to upload or re-submit
it, and we are reviewing what evidence is relevant to a decision, to enable more accurate
data gather and decision making.</p><p> </p><p>We published Transforming Support:
The Health and Disability White Paper on 15 March 2023 (<a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/transforming-support-the-health-and-disability-white-paper"
target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/transforming-support-the-health-and-disability-white-paper</a>).
The White Paper responds to feedback from The Health and Disability Green Paper consultation
and sets out proposals to support more disabled people and people with health conditions
to start, stay and succeed in work, as well as to improve the overall experience of,
and trust in, the benefits system. We will continue to work with disabled people,
people with health conditions and their representatives, to reach the important goals
set out in the White Paper.</p>
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