Social Security Experience Panels: Personal Independence Payment health assessments

Introduction

In June 2018, the Scottish Government carried out a survey with Experience Panel members to understand their experiences of Personal Independence Payment health assessments. The research explored:

• Views on booking a Personal Independence Payment health assessment, and what factors are important for clients to choose when booking;
• Views on health assessors, their backgrounds and knowledge and whether a health assessment should be recorded;
• How long health assessments should last, and what should happen if the health assessment lasts longer than the client can manage;
• Reasons for needing to miss or cancel a health assessment; and
• Experience of claiming expenses after attending a health assessment.

In total, 128 Experience Panel members took part in this survey (a response rate of 14.84 per cent). The findings of this survey reflect the views of the respondents only, and are not representative of all Personal Independence Payment claimants.