“What the timescale is for the merger of the Department for International Development and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office; and if he will make a statement.”
Asked by
Sarah Champion
Answering Minister
the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs
Answer from Hansard
The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (Liz Kendall)
Personal independence payments are a crucial benefit that makes a contribution towards the extra costs of living with a disability. I know how anxious many people are when there is talk about reform, but this Government want to ensure that PIP is there for people who need it now and into the future. In our Green Paper we promised to review the PIP assessment, working with disabled people, the organisations that represent them and other experts, and we are starting the first phase of that review today. My right hon. Friend the Minister for Social Security and Disability will be inviting in stakeholders this week to develop the scope and terms of reference of this review, and will keep the House updated as this work progresses.