Official Statistics

Background information and methodology

Published 15 September 2026

Applies to England, Scotland and Wales

Context of the statistics

This publication presents statistics on Personal Independence Payment (PIP) assessments and Work Capability Assessments (WCAs) completed in Great Britain between January 2021 and July 2026. It provides information on completed assessment volumes and consultation channels.

Since September 2024, PIP assessments and WCAs have been delivered through the Functional Assessment Service (FAS). As the statistics cover the period from January 2021 onwards, they include both pre-FAS and post-FAS assessment activity.

WCA statistics include assessments undertaken as part of both Universal Credit (UC) and Employment and Support Allowance (ESA). The statistics do not distinguish between assessments undertaken as part of UC and those undertaken as part of ESA.

These statistics have been developed in response to user interest in understanding health assessment activity and assessment delivery channels across PIP and WCA. Prior to this release, limited published statistics were available specifically on health assessment volumes and channels.

From March 2022, Personal Independence Payment was gradually replaced by Adult Disability Payment (ADP) in Scotland. New claims have been made to ADP since rollout was completed across Scotland in August 2022, with existing PIP claimants transferring to ADP between 2022 and June 2025. Users should consider this change when interpreting trends over time for PIP.

Further information on PIP, UC and ESA is available on GOV.UK.

Key points for users

Key points include:

• statistics are counts of completed assessments, not appointments or assessments that were not completed
• figures represent assessments rather than unique claimants
• failed or incomplete assessments are not included
• statistics are presented at Great Britain level only
• PIP and WCA statistics should not be interpreted as directly comparable because they relate to different benefits, claimant populations and assessment processes
• trends in PIP should be interpreted alongside the introduction of ADP in Scotland
• paper-based clearances are completed without a claimant consultation. Where a claimant consultation is required, it may take place by telephone, video or face-to-face
• volumes cover all completed assessments, including paper-based clearances. Percentages for face-to-face, telephone and video channels are calculated using consultation assessments only; paper-based clearances are presented separately because they do not involve a claimant consultation
• this publication covers completed PIP and WCA assessment reports returned to DWP by contracted assessment providers. Not all PIP and WCA cases involve a contracted assessment provider, and department-internal assessment activity, including assessments undertaken by the Health Assessment Service, is outside the scope of these statistics

Purpose of the statistics

This publication provides an official source of statistics about completed PIP and WCA assessment volumes and delivery channels. It presents volumes for all completed assessments and consultation-based percentages for face-to-face, telephone and video channels. The statistics cover January 2021 to July 2026, with the latest available period included in each subsequent publication.

The statistics are published twice a year and are presented at a Great Britain level only.

Limitations of the statistics

What these statistics show:

• PIP and WCA assessment volumes in Great Britain
• completed assessment volumes by completion route for PIP and WCA
• the proportion of consultation assessments delivered through face-to-face, telephone and video channels
• paper-based clearance volumes, shown separately because they do not require a claimant consultation

What these statistics don’t show:

• breakdowns of PIP and WCA assessment volumes by provider or region
• measures of claimant outcomes
• provider performance statistics
• contractual Key Performance Indicator (KPI) measurements
• assessment of performance against policy ambitions or operational targets
• comparisons between the PIP and WCA assessment systems

Comparison with previous ad-hoc statistics

A previous Parliamentary Question (PQ 27607) provided WCA volume statistics broken down by channel, spanning March 2020 to December 2024.

The data provided in response to the PQ differs slightly from those presented in this publication between September and December 2024. During this period, the PQ figures and this publication use different methodologies to assign assessments to reporting months. As a result, some figures for WCA assessments completed through a paper-based clearance differ slightly between the two publications.

These differences are small and do not affect the overall trends presented. The figures published in this release are based on the methodology adopted for this statistics series and should be used, alongside those published in subsequent releases, when making comparisons over time.

PIP assessments with ‘unknown’ channels

PIP source data include a small number of consultation assessments where the consultation channel is recorded as unknown. These are shown separately in consultation-based percentages. No equivalent unknown category exists in the WCA source data used for these statistics.

Comparisons between the statistics

The PIP and WCA assessment processes differ in purpose, claimant population and operational delivery arrangements. Comparisons between PIP and WCA figures should therefore be interpreted with caution.

Source of the statistics

Data sources

These statistics are derived from two administrative data systems used to support the delivery of health assessments:

• Practitioner Referral System (PRS)
• Medical Services Referral System (MSRS)

PRS contains information on PIP assessments and MSRS contains information on WCAs. Data from these systems are used to produce monthly Management Information (MI) reports, which are quality assured by both DWP and assessment providers. The statistics published in this release are derived from these MI reports.

The publication includes the latest available data at the time of publication. This is typically around two calendar months after the reporting period to allow time for retrospective updates to source data.

Methodology

A PIP assessment or WCA is counted when the completed assessment report is received by DWP from the assessment provider (AP).

Only completed assessments are included in these statistics. Assessments that are not completed are excluded. Where a claimant has more than one completed assessment, each completed assessment is counted separately.

All referred cases are initially subject to a paper-based review. Where sufficient evidence is available, the case is completed through a paper-based clearance without a claimant consultation. Where further evidence is required, a claimant consultation takes place and is recorded as face-to-face, telephone or video.

Volume statistics include all completed assessments. Consultation-channel percentages are calculated by dividing the volume for each consultation channel by the total number of consultation assessments. Consultation assessments comprise face-to-face, telephone and video assessments, together with any records where the consultation channel is unknown. Paper-based clearances are excluded from this denominator.

Percentages are calculated from unrounded figures and then rounded to one decimal place. Published volumes are rounded separately and may not add exactly to totals.

PIP and WCA assessments are assigned to reporting months based on the date the completed assessment report is received by DWP, rather than the date the assessment took place.

Data coverage

This publication covers Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales). In Scotland, PIP was gradually replaced by Adult Disability Payment from March 2022 onwards. Users should consider this change when interpreting trends over time for PIP.

Definitions and terminology within the statistics

The assessment process and the statistical presentation are distinct. These statistics present completed assessment volumes and, separately, the distribution of consultation channels where a claimant consultation took place.

Presentation of volumes and percentages

The statistics use different presentations for volumes and percentages:

Completed assessment volumes include face-to-face, telephone and video consultation assessments, together with paper-based clearances

Consultation-channel percentages describe how consultation assessments were distributed between face-to-face, telephone and video channels once a claimant consultation was required. Paper-based clearances are excluded because they do not involve a claimant consultation.

Completed assessment volumes

Completed PIP and WCA assessment reports returned to DWP during the reporting period, including paper-based clearances and assessments involving a face-to-face, telephone or video consultation. Figures represent assessment volumes rather than unique claimants.

Consultation assessments and channel percentages

Where the available evidence is insufficient to complete the assessment following a paper-based review, a consultation with the claimant is required. Consultation assessments may be conducted by telephone, video or face-to-face. Channel percentages use total consultation assessments as their denominator. Paper-based clearances are excluded because no claimant consultation takes place.

Paper-based review

All referred cases are initially subject to a paper-based review, during which a healthcare professional reviews the available evidence. The paper-based review is an initial stage in the assessment process and is not a consultation channel.

Paper-based clearance

Where the available evidence is sufficient to complete the assessment without consulting the claimant, the case is completed through a paper-based clearance. Paper-based clearances are included in completed assessment volumes but excluded from consultation-channel percentages.

Personal Independence Payment

Personal Independence Payment helps with some of the extra costs caused by long-term disability or ill-health. It can also be claimed under special rules by people with a life-limiting illness who are approaching the end of their life. Read more about Personal Independence Payment.

Personal Independence Payment Assessment

An assessment undertaken as part of the PIP process. An assessment may be completed through a paper-based clearance without a claimant consultation, or following a telephone, video or face-to-face consultation.

Universal Credit

Universal Credit is a payment to help with living costs for people on a low income or who are out of work. Claimants with a health condition or disability may be referred for a WCA to determine entitlement to additional health-related support.

Work Capability Assessment

An assessment used to help determine entitlement to health-related support within UC or ESA. Assessments may be conducted via a face-to-face, telephone or video consultation, or completed through a paper-based clearance.

Status of the statistics

Official statistics in development

These are Official statistics in development.

Official statistics in development are official statistics that are undergoing development; they may be new or existing statistics and will be tested with users, in line with the standards of trustworthiness, quality and value in the Code of Practice for Statistics.

Quality statement

These statistics are derived from administrative systems used to support the delivery of PIP assessments and WCAs. Source data undergo quality assurance as part of monthly management information production. Additional quality assurance checks are undertaken during the production of this statistical release to ensure that figures are consistent, coherent and suitable for publication. The statistics have been produced in line with the principles of trustworthiness, quality and value set out in the UK Statistics Authority’s Code of Practice for Statistics.

Feedback

We welcome feedback

DWP welcomes your views on these statistics. We would be interested in hearing what you use them for and how suitable they are for your requirements.

Feedback or queries about these statistics can be sent by email to: chea.hastatistics@dwp.gov.uk. We are only able to reply to questions about the statistics.

Press enquiries should be directed to the DWP Press Office.

Publication Lead: Olatunde Akinlade

Author: Charles Stoker