I appreciate your concerns about the PIP process, and I believe that we must strive to make sure that assessments are quick, fair, and right first time. People should not have to rely on external support to get the appropriate award for their needs, and to that end, the UK Government is continually reviewing and refining the PIP process.
PIP is designed to ensure that people get the appropriate level of support for their needs, and I am pleased that the process has improved considerably in recent years. Since PIP’s introduction, the proportion of claimants on the highest level of support has increased from 15% to 29%. New claims are now also being cleared in under a third of the time they were in 2014, and assessments are independently audited to ensure that they are accurate and fair.
The Scottish Parliament in Holyrood was recently granted new powers relating to welfare, including powers over PIP and its predecessor, Disability Living Allowance. It is my understanding that the Scottish Government intends to continue with the current system of assessments, and of moving claimants over from DLA to PIP, until at least 2021. I hope that, if there is any way they can use their powers to improve the process, they will not delay in using them.