Source · Select Committees · Work and Pensions Committee
Recommendation 12
12
Not Addressed
Paragraph: 54
Giving people sufficient time to gather relevant evidence for their claim could reduce the stress...
Recommendation
Giving people sufficient time to gather relevant evidence for their claim could reduce the stress involved for claimants and improve the quality of information available to the assessment provider. In turn this could lead to better initial decisions and reduce the number of Mandatory Reconsiderations due to either unreturned forms, or missing evidence. DWP should extend the deadline for returning ESA50, UC50 and PIP2 forms and accompanying evidence to two months.
Government response summary AI-generated
The response discusses draft criteria focusing on claimants with severely disabling, lifelong conditions, reviews of guidance, covert surveillance, and informal observations, but does not address the recommendation to extend the deadline for returning forms.
Summary of the government's response below — read the verbatim text to verify.
Paragraph Reference:
54
Government Response
Not Addressed
HM Government · verbatim extract
Not Addressed
The Department does not support extending the deadline to two months. It recognises the importance of claimants having the opportunity to provide information and evidence about their disabilities and health conditions in their ESA50, UC50 and PIP2 forms in support of their claims and there are existing provisions available that give additional time and support to those who require it. Timeframes for returning questionnaires and providing medical evidence have been informed by the Department’s 15 years’ experience of delivering health assessments. They are intended to strike the right balance between providing a claimant with sufficient time to return their evidence and getting the correct award in place at the earliest opportunity. For example, regarding the ESA50 and UC50, delaying return of the questionnaire by a further four weeks would lead to a later assessment and delays in being paid any entitlement to the Limited Capability for Work-Related Activity (LCWRA) component and, in Universal Credit, access to the work allowance. For PIP, safeguards are already in place to allow for additional time for claimants to submit their PIP2. These include an automatic extension of the due date by a further 14 days, applied when a reminder of the need to return the form is sent. In addition to the automatic extension, claimants can ask for additional time to complete their PIP2, and can do so on more than one occasion where they have good reason. For the WCA, if a claimant contacts the Department to inform it that they need more time or help with completing their ESA50 or UC50, it will provide them with help and support where necessary, including signposting them to the special helpline operated by the WCA provider, where dedicated advisors can answer questions and provide help with completing the form. In cases where difficulties result in the ESA50 or UC50 being returned late, the Department asks the claimant to explain the reasons, which it takes fully into consideration.
Read the full response on Parliament ↗