Firstly I would like to say that I am proud that every year over £50 billion is spent to support people with disabilities and health conditions, over £7 billion more than in 2010. I passionately believe we should focus support on those who need it.
PIP is designed to ensure support is focused on those with the greatest barrier to independence. I am glad that since its introduction, 29 per cent of claimants are now on the highest level of support, up from 15 per cent previously. New claims for PIP are now being cleared in under a third of the time they were in July 2014, at a current average of 16 weeks from registration to decision. The Government is committed to further improving this process. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is continually reviewing and refining the PIP process in order to improve its efficiency, effectiveness and the claimant experience.
The WCA was developed in consultation with medical experts to ensure it is appropriate for all conditions. The premise of the WCA is that eligibility for benefits should not be based on a person's condition, but on the way that condition limits their ability to function. The DWP is committed to ensuring that the WCA assesses people as fairly and accurately as possible, and it keeps its processes under constant review.
All Healthcare Professionals (HCPs) carrying out assessments must be registered doctors, nurses or physiotherapists who are required to have a minimum level of previous clinical experience. They also undergo training in Disability Assessment Medicine. An HCP makes a recommendation on an individual's capability to work to a DWP Decision Maker who will take into account all available evidence, including any evidence provided by the claimant's GP or consultant. Claimants are encouraged to provide all evidence that will be relevant to their case, including from their GP.
The primary role of a GP or hospital doctor is to diagnose and treat medical conditions, and they are not required to routinely consider the functional restrictions or disabling effects of those conditions. Their medical training does not involve assessing a patient's ability to function, and they are unlikely to know the legislative requirements in relation to benefit entitlement. The GP's role is to act as a patient advocate, so there is also an issue of having to consider the effect on the doctor-patient relationship of any advice they provide. GPs and the British Medical Association have made it clear that they do not want to be made responsible for the benefits system.
It should be noted that HCPs do not have performance targets or incentives with regard to the number of people qualifying for benefit, and there are no targets to be met for Decision Makers on the number of people found fit for work.