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1011420

registered interest
date	21/11/2018
answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
answering dept id	29
answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
hansard heading	Social Security Benefits: Medical Examinations
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, for what proportion of (a) employment support allowance mandatory reconsiderations and (b) personal independence payment mandatory reconsiderations her Department has contacted a claimant's GP or specialist to request medical evidence in the last 12 months; and what guidance his Department provides on when it is appropriate to contact a claimant's GP or specialist.
tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Hall Green
tabling member printed	Mr Roger Godsiff
uin	194024
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/11/2018 answer text <p>The information requested is not recorded centrally and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>The guidance for both benefits tells claimants that when making their claim they should provide the evidence that they already hold and that they should not request additional evidence for which they may need to pay, for example from their GP. If further medical evidence is required this will be requested by the Assessment Provider at no cost to the claimant. At Mandatory Reconsideration the guidance encourages claimants to share any <em>new</em> medical evidence they may have received since their original claim. The instructions in relation to claims and Mandatory Reconsideration are clearly signposted for both benefits.</p> answering member constituency Truro and Falmouth answering member printed Sarah Newton question first answered 26/11/2018 17:42:49 answering member 4071 label Biography information for Sarah Newton
tabling member	304 label Biography information for Mr Roger Godsiff

1011435

registered interest
date	21/11/2018
answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
answering dept id	29
answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
hansard heading	Social Security Benefits: Medical Examinations
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to ensure confidentiality of medical information handled by contracted employment support allowance and personal independence payment assessors.
tabling member constituency	Edinburgh North and Leith
tabling member printed	Deidre Brock
uin	194249
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/11/2018 answer text <p>The contracts for the Departments Health Providers who are assessing the needs of claimants for Employment and Support Allowance and Personal Independence Payment include strict confidentiality clauses for the protection of personal medical information. The highest priority is placed on confidentiality, protecting the information the Health Providers hold about claimants securely. The Health Providers have detailed and strictly enforced policies relating to data protection and records management to ensure that the data they hold is dealt with in accordance with the requirements of the contracts.</p> answering member constituency Truro and Falmouth answering member printed Sarah Newton question first answered 28/11/2018 16:35:35 answering member 4071 label Biography information for Sarah Newton
tabling member	4417 label Biography information for Deidre Brock

1010702

registered interest
date	20/11/2018
answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
answering dept id	29
answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
hansard heading	Social Security Benefits: Medical Examinations
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to ensure employment support allowance and personal independence payment assessors are (a) informed of and (b) abide by mandates instructing communications via an agreed advocate rather than directly with the client.
tabling member constituency	Edinburgh North and Leith
tabling member printed	Deidre Brock
uin	193580
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/11/2018 answer text <p>Where Employment Support Allowance or Personal Independence Payment claimants have an approved appointee, this will be flagged in the initial referral to the Assessment Provider. If a face-to-face assessment is deemed necessary, the Assessment Provider will send the invite to the appointee only.</p><p> </p><p>In regards to any other ‘advocate’ ie: not an approved benefit appointee, as long as the claimant has made this request clear when claiming PIP or ESA, either by providing a correspondence address, the advocate’s personal details or on their Questionnaire – the PIP2 or the ESA50, then this will be acted upon.</p><p> </p><p>Department works with providers to ensure guidance is understood and applied in line with policy intent.</p> answering member constituency Truro and Falmouth answering member printed Sarah Newton question first answered 27/11/2018 14:38:19 answering member 4071 label Biography information for Sarah Newton
tabling member	4417 label Biography information for Deidre Brock

1007890

registered interest
date	15/11/2018
answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
answering dept id	29
answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
hansard heading	Social Security Benefits: Medical Examinations
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department has plans to require people who request an extension to their deadline day as part of the process of managed migration on the grounds of ill health to provide medical evidence in support of that claim.
tabling member constituency	Newcastle upon Tyne Central
tabling member printed	Chi Onwurah
uin	191918
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/11/2018 answer text <p>This is one of the areas of detailed design where we will be looking to work collaboratively with external organisations, which will allow DWP to develop the detailed design drawing on the collective experience, evidence and insight of organisations who also actively support our claimants.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 20/11/2018 15:31:28 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
tabling member	4124 label Biography information for Chi Onwurah

1006040

registered interest
date	13/11/2018
answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
answering dept id	29
answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
hansard heading	Social Security Benefits: Medical Examinations
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many health assessments were carried out on claimants of (a) personal independence payments and (b) employment support allowance in each of the last five years.
tabling member constituency	Motherwell and Wishaw
tabling member printed	Marion Fellows
uin	190915
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/11/2018 answer text <p>The number of health assessments that were carried out for Personal Independence Payments claimants in each of the last five years are shown in the table below. The increase in PIP assessments reflects the growth in new claims following the introduction of PIP in 2013 and the of reassessment of DLA to more areas.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>-</p></td><td><p>Jun 2013 - March 2014</p></td><td><p>April 2014 - March 2015</p></td><td><p>April 2015 - March 2016</p></td><td><p>April 2016 - March 2017</p></td><td><p>April 2017 - March 2018</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>PIP Health assessment reports received</p></td><td><p>81,000</p></td><td><p>555,000</p></td><td><p>708,000</p></td><td><p>1,003,000</p></td><td><p>1,021,000</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Source: chargeable outputs trend summary report</p><p>(Figures rounded to nearest 1k)</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>The number of health assessments that were carried out for Employment Support Allowance claimants in each of the last five years are shown in the table below.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>-</p></td><td><p>April 2013 - March 2014</p></td><td><p>April 2014 - March 2015</p></td><td><p>April 2015 - March 2016</p></td><td><p>April 2016 - March 2017</p></td><td><p>April 2017 - March 2018</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>ESA Health assessment reports received</p></td><td><p>638,000</p></td><td><p>685,000</p></td><td><p>742,000</p></td><td><p>913,000</p></td><td><p>913,000</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Source: Monthly Work Capability Summary MI report</p><p>(Figures rounded to nearest 1k)</p> answering member constituency Truro and Falmouth answering member printed Sarah Newton question first answered 19/11/2018 17:08:06 answering member 4071 label Biography information for Sarah Newton
tabling member	4440 label Biography information for Marion Fellows

1006166

registered interest
date	13/11/2018
answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
answering dept id	29
answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
hansard heading	Social Security Benefits: Medical Examinations
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what criteria the Department provides to its partners to assess non-physical disabilities for clients applying for personal independence payment and disability living allowance.
tabling member constituency	Nottingham South
tabling member printed	Lilian Greenwood
uin	190862
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/11/2018 answer text <p>The Personal Independence Payment (PIP) process is designed to treat all claimants fairly and with respect. A core tenet of its design is the principle of equivalence between physical and non-physical conditions in order to accurately determine the level of support a person needs.</p><p>Health professionals carrying out the assessments have training in multiple and complex conditions such as autism, mental health conditions and learning disabilities.</p><p>In addition, the Assessment Providers have Mental Health Champions who are experienced professionals with direct and relevant work experience of helping patients with mental health conditions.</p><p>Detailed information of PIP assessment processes and how claimants with mental health conditions are assessed for PIP can be found in the PIP Assessment Guide:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/personal-independence-payment-assessment-guide-for-assessment-providers" target="_blank">Personal Independence Payment assessment guide for assessment providers - GOV.UK</a></p><p> </p><p>The proportion of PIP recipients with a mental health condition getting the top rates of support is over five times higher compared to Disability Living Allowance (DLA).</p><p> </p><p>Child DLA is a benefit for children under the age of 16 who, due to a disability or health condition, have mobility issues and/or require substantially more care, attention &amp; supervision than children their age normally would. Child DLA comprises a Care component and a Mobility component; either or both can be claimed, depending on the child’s overall needs and age.</p><p>Parents or guardians complete a claim form which requests detailed information about the child and the form is considered by a case manager alongside other evidence such as reports’ from the child’s General Practitioner (GP), consultant and/or school.</p><p>Case Managers have access to comprehensive medical guidance and advice from qualified Medical Advisers based at the Child DLA centre. In the vast majority of cases no face to face assessment is required.</p> answering member constituency Truro and Falmouth answering member printed Sarah Newton question first answered 23/11/2018 10:03:07 answering member 4071 label Biography information for Sarah Newton previous answer version 85874 answering member constituency Truro and Falmouth answering member printed Sarah Newton answering member 4071 label Biography information for Sarah Newton
tabling member	4029 label Biography information for Lilian Greenwood

1006167

registered interest
date	13/11/2018
answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
answering dept id	29
answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
hansard heading	Social Security Benefits: Medical Examinations
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department undertakes to ensure the applicants for personal independence payment and disability living allowance are assessed by accredited healthcare professionals for their specific disability or impairment.
tabling member constituency	Nottingham South
tabling member printed	Lilian Greenwood
uin	190863
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/11/2018 answer text <p>PIP assessments focus on what impact a disability or impairment has on a claimant’s ability to carry out day to day tasks and activities. Therefore, DWP does not require Health Professionals to be specialists in specific conditions or impairments. They are expected to have a broad knowledge of different medical conditions and work with claimants to assess how these affect their daily life.</p><p> </p><p>Health Professionals carrying out PIP assessments have access to training such as evidence based protocols, e-learning modules or case studies as well as keeping knowledge up to date through Continuous Professional Development.</p><p> </p><p>All Health Professionals must have at least 2 years post full-registration experience.</p><p> </p><p>There is no requirement for applicants for Disability Living Allowance (DLA) to undergo a face to face assessment with a healthcare professional.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Truro and Falmouth answering member printed Sarah Newton question first answered 19/11/2018 17:08:00 answering member 4071 label Biography information for Sarah Newton
tabling member	4029 label Biography information for Lilian Greenwood

997349

registered interest
date	29/10/2018
answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
answering dept id	29
answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
hansard heading	Social Security Benefits: Medical Examinations
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what guidance her Department provides to (a) departmental staff and (b) employees of (i) Capita and (ii) Maximus on when to contact a claimant's healthcare provider to request medical evidence.
tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Hall Green
tabling member printed	Mr Roger Godsiff
uin	184881
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/11/2018 answer text <p>The department has clearly set out the requirements for when DWP and/or the Assessment Providers should request further medical evidence.</p><p> </p><p>DWP/Assessment Provider Health Professional will consider obtaining further evidence if there is a significant gap in the available information, there is doubt about the level of function or if it is required in order to provide robust advice. There does not need to be independent corroborating evidence if the available information is comprehensive, clearly outlines the extent and nature of any functional problems and, above all, is consistent with the claimed condition(s).</p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Truro and Falmouth answering member printed Sarah Newton question first answered 06/11/2018 16:21:01 answering member 4071 label Biography information for Sarah Newton
tabling member	304 label Biography information for Mr Roger Godsiff

994184

registered interest
date	24/10/2018
answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
answering dept id	29
answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
hansard heading	Social Security Benefits: Medical Examinations
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 11 October 2018 to Question 176388 on Social Security Benefits: Medical Examinations, how many of those audits resulted in amendments to health assessment reports (a) in total and (b) where a person's care needs for a descriptor were reduced for (i) employment and support allowance and (ii) personal independence payment in each year for which information is available.
tabling member constituency	Motherwell and Wishaw
tabling member printed	Marion Fellows
uin	183441
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/10/2018 answer text <p>The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) does not hold the information requested.</p><p> </p><p>We are committed to ensuring claimants receive high quality, accurate assessments and monitor assessment quality through independent audit. DWP Decision Makers can return reports to Assessment Providers for rework/additional advice if they feel that the information within a report does not fully justify the recommendation given. A range of measures, including provider improvement plans, address performance falling below expected standards.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Truro and Falmouth answering member printed Sarah Newton question first answered 29/10/2018 16:15:38 answering member 4071 label Biography information for Sarah Newton
tabling member	4440 label Biography information for Marion Fellows

992718

registered interest
date	22/10/2018
answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
answering dept id	29
answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
hansard heading	Social Security Benefits: Medical Examinations
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many times her Department has contacted the doctor or healthcare worker of a benefits claimant to request medical evidence for their claim in each of the last 10 years.
tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Hall Green
tabling member printed	Mr Roger Godsiff
uin	182086
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/10/2018 answer text <p>Where further medical evidence is required, it will be requested directly from a Doctor or Healthcare worker. In the majority of cases, further medical evidence will be requested by a Health Professional who is directly involved with the case. DWP do not hold this level of Management Information across all benefits.</p> answering member constituency Truro and Falmouth answering member printed Sarah Newton question first answered 25/10/2018 09:17:35 answering member 4071 label Biography information for Sarah Newton
tabling member	304 label Biography information for Mr Roger Godsiff