To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to reduce the average processing time between an application being accepted and the first payment for DLA and PIP for children and young people under 25 with cancer.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the impact of waiting times between a child or young person (under 25) being diagnosed with cancer and their first payment of disability benefit on (a) debt levels, (b) carers’ support access, and (c) long-term financial resilience.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to Young Lives vs Cancer’s report entitled The cost of waiting, published in March 2025, what assessment he has made of the impact of the average time between a child or young person (under 25) being diagnosed with cancer and their first payment of disability benefit on carers’ ability to support them.

Reducing customer journey times for Disability Living Allowance (DLA) and Personal Independence Payment (PIP) claimants is a priority for the Department and we are working constantly to make improvements to our service. More information can be found here:

Disability Living Allowance for children timeliness performance, for new claims cleared between 1 August 2025 and 31 March 2026 - GOV.UK

Personal Independence Payment: Official Statistics to April 2026 - GOV.UK

A child or young adult cannot qualify for DLA or PIP unless the disability conditions have been satisfied for an initial period of three months. This helps establish that disability and the resulting needs are of a longstanding nature and ensures that the benefit goes only to those for whom it is intended. Where entitlement conditions are met, Carer’s Allowance can be backdated for up to three months from the date that entitlement to the qualifying disability benefit begins. Severely disabled children and young adults do not always have to wait for the full three months from the date of their claim before they become entitled to DLA or PIP if they have already had the requisite needs arising prior to their claim.

Special considerations also apply to those who are terminally ill, who are awarded the highest rate of the care component of DLA or the enhanced rate of the PIP daily living component automatically without having to complete a qualifying period. Such claims are dealt with quickly and sensitively.