To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the processing times are for an appeal where an individual is contesting a personal independence payment decision from the start of the appeal to its conclusion.

The First-tier Tribunal (Social Security and Child Support), administered by HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS), hears appeals against Department for Work and Pensions’ decisions on a range of benefits, including a person’s entitlement to Personal Independence Payment (PIP).

In the period 1 April 2014 to 30 June 2014 (the latest period for which data has been published) the average waiting time from receipt of a PIP appeal at the Tribunal to disposal was 14 weeks. This compares with an average processing time for all Social Security and Child Support appeals of 20 weeks in 2013/14.