The Department for Communities commissioned Walter Rader to undertake an independent review on how the Personal Independence Payment (PIP) assessment is working in Northern Ireland.
To support the review a Call for Evidence was launched in January 2018, and Mr Rader also engaged directly with PIP operational staff, the assessment provider involved in the delivery of PIP and voluntary organisations who provide advice and support to claimants.
The document contains Mr Rader’s final report of his findings and recommendations.
The main recommendations of the report are on pages 8 to 10.
Disability Rights UK welfare rights adviser Ken Butler says:
“The recommendations of the Northern Ireland Independent PIP review go further than either of the two reviews by Paul Grey.
“The recommendation that the use of disability living allowance evidence to support reassessment cases should stop seems ill conceived.
“Also, the blanket video recording of PIP assessments as opposed to audio recording may not be welcomed by all PIP claimants.
“But ensuring that a copy of the PIP assessor’s report is sent to claimants along with their PIP decision letter is long overdue.
“Other recommendations that would enable the greater use of paper based reviews and greater enhanced specialist training of PIP assessors are also ones that DR UK would support.”