Over 19,000 disabled pensioners in the South West will no longer have to go through unnecessary reassessments for disability benefits, Work and Pensions Secretary Amber Rudd has said.

Around 270,000 people receiving Personal Independence Payment (PIP) who have reached State Pension age will no longer have their awards regularly reviewed, instead moving to a review every 10 years.

The changes are part of a wider package of measures announced by Amber Rudd, signalling a shift in the Government’s support for disabled people.

Other improvements include combining the separate assessment processes for PIP, Employment Support Allowance (ESA) and Universal Credit into one integrated service from 2021.

The integrated service will simplify the assessment process for millions of people claiming health related benefits, reducing the need to submit information multiple times and for some people reducing the number of face-to-face assessments.