Plaid Cymru MP for Arfon Hywel Williams will meet the Minister of State at the Department for Work and Pensions tomorrow (Wednesday 11.03.20) to ensure that the needs of severely disabled and vulnerable people are prioritised in discussions on the future location of the Bangor PIP assessment centre.
Following the closure of the Personal independence Payment centre at Ty Menai in November by the private company Capita contracted to run the service, severely disabled claimants living in Gwynedd were expected to travel to Rhyl or Aberystwyth to attend their disability assessments.
Mr Williams and Plaid Cymru colleague Liz Saville Roberts MP raised the issue with Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Secretary of State for the Department for Work and Pensions, Therése Coffey, following which a temporary site was found in Bangor to carry out assessments.
However, Mr Williams is now calling on the DWP to find a suitable, permanent local site to meet the needs of claimants living in Gwynedd.
Hywel Williams MP said: “I will be meeting the Minister of State tomorrow to press for a suitable and permanent local site for the disability assessment centre, which meets the specific needs of severely disabled and vulnerable claimants.
“I am pleased that this urgent meeting is finally going ahead after it was pulled by the DWP a few weeks ago. Vulnerable people cannot be kept in perpetual limbo.
“It is absolutely vital that those living with a severe disability and all the complications this brings, are able to attend their appointments in as convenient and as local a location as possible.
“Capita are contractuallyobliged to consider the specific needs of claimants when undertaking assessments. This includes locating assessment centres as convenient as possible to claimants.
“I don’t want to hear of vulnerable people with complex disabilities being told to travel for more than 90 minutes (over three hours return) just to be told they’re fit to work.
‘This situation is a serious cause of concern for me and my constituents and the government must urgently remedy this injustice, find a permanent, accessible site and put the needs of people before profits.”
