“Face-to-face assessments became much less common.”

The evidence strongly supports the claim that face-to-face assessments for disability benefits (particularly PIP) became much less common under the previous Conservative government. **Key evidence:** 1. **Pre-pandemic vs. post-pandemic comparison:** The Telegraph reported official figures showing that more than 80% of PIP assessments were conducted in person before the pandemic, but this dropped to a record post-Covid low of less than 2% by September 2024, when only 1,270 of 74,000 assessments were carried out face-to-face. 2. **DWP's own data (reported via Daily Record):** In September 2024, of PIP assessments: 77.5% were by phone, 13.8% paper-based, 5% in person, and 3% by video call. This means only about 5% were face-to-face, down from 80%+ pre-pandemic. 3. **Government minister's explanation:** DWP Minister Sir Stephen Timms explicitly stated that face-to-face assessments were "such a small proportion of total assessments" because "the contracts that the Conservative Government entered into towards the end of their term in office... contained no requirements for an adequate number of face-to-face assessments." He also noted the Conservatives "sold off most of the premises where those assessments were undertaken." 4. **BBC reporting:** Confirmed that "face-to-face assessments failed to return to pre-Covid levels under the Tories," and that Kemi Badenoch "blamed the pandemic for the fall." 5. **GB News:** Chris Philp was challenged on the Conservative government's failure to bring back face-to-face assessments in the three years between the pandemic and the 2024 election. The claim in the speech is that face-to-face assessments "collapsed" — and the data shows a drop from over 80% to under 5% of assessments, which reasonably constitutes a collapse. The attribution to contracts agreed by the Conservative government is also directly supported by the DWP minister's own explanation. **Sources:** - Telegraph: "Disability benefits 'open to abuse' as face-to-face checks collapse" — https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2025/03/15/disability-benefits-open-to-abuse-as-face-to-face-checks/ - Daily Record: "DWP confirms reason for increase in PIP face-to-face assessments this year" — https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/lifestyle/money/pip-face-to-face-assessments-36716465 - BBC: "Kemi Badenoch: It's too easy to claim benefits in UK" — https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c80p1gdvyggo - GB News: "Chris Philp skewered by Camilla Tominey on Tory failure to increase face-to-face benefit assessments" — https://www.gbnews.com/politics/welfare-reform-chris-philp-skewered-camilla-tominey-tory-failure-increase-face-to-face-benefit-assessments - GOV.UK: ESA Work Capability Assessments statistics — https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/esa-outcomes-of-work-capability-assessments-including-mandatory-reconsiderations-and-appeals-september-2025/esa-work-capability-assessments-mandatory-reconsiderations-and-appeals-september-2025