Recommendations & Conclusions
10 items
4
Conclusion
Fifth Report - Health assessments for b…
Accepted
We are deeply concerned to hear that nearly five years after our predecessor’s Report, people are still experiencing distress as a result of undergoing health assessments. In particular, our survey respondents spoke of the stress, anxiety and in some cases severe mental health impacts of the assessment process. That we …
Government response. The Department acknowledges its responsibility to support vulnerable claimants and details existing training programs and support roles, as well as unexpected findings processes, to address the potential mental and physical health effects of assessments.
Department for Work and Pensions
6
Recommendation
Fifth Report - Health assessments for b…
Accepted
We note the Department has made changes to improve training for health professionals around mental health and safeguarding, and process changes, and also improved training for call handlers. Staff and contractors involved in any DWP health assessment process should undertake claimant safeguarding and suicide prevention training.
Government response. The government stated that all staff working with claimants undertake comprehensive training to support vulnerable claimants, including those at risk of suicide or self-harm, and that assessment providers deliver suicide awareness and prevention training to all their staff.
Department for Work and Pensions
9
Recommendation
Fifth Report - Health assessments for b…
Accepted
The application and assessment process can be very stressful for claimants, and unacceptable delays are exacerbating these problems. We recognise that waiting times have begun to fall but are concerned that with increasing demand this could be a recurring problem. We recommend that the new contracts for assessment providers contain …
Government response. The new Functional Assessment Service contracts include specific end-to-end clearance targets for PIP, WCA, and Special Rules for End of Life, with financial sanctions for repeated failures.
Department for Work and Pensions
11
Recommendation
Fifth Report - Health assessments for b…
Accepted
The process of issuing a UC50 form should be automatic, and claimants should not have to remind the Department to send it to them. DWP should investigate the process for issuing UC50 forms urgently and confirm in its response to this Report what steps it is taking to fix any …
Government response. The government stated it is already working collaboratively with welfare rights organisations to identify potential points of failure in the process of issuing UC50 forms and has identified some improvements to be delivered by the end of 2023.
Department for Work and Pensions
15
Conclusion
Fifth Report - Health assessments for b…
Accepted
Just as a one-size-fits-all approach does not work for assessments, the same is true for applications and contact channels. We welcome progress towards better online provision, but digital does not work for everyone and people’s independence should not be compromised by poor accessibility. As the Department moves towards a single …
Government response. The Department is transforming the entire PIP service and will make improvements to existing ways to claim and create a new digital PIP service, giving claimants the option to apply online, while also continuing to offer a telephony service and …
Department for Work and Pensions
19
Recommendation
Fifth Report - Health assessments for b…
Accepted
DWP has introduced changes to the Mandatory Reconsideration process that it says make it a more effective check on decision-making. A worryingly high number and proportion of appeals still result in the Department’s decision being overturned, with implications for wider trust in the system beyond those directly affected. The Department …
Government response. The Department will publish the first set of UC WCA statistics, covering April 2019 to March 2023, on 8 June 2023, with future releases including data on Mandatory Reconsiderations.
Department for Work and Pensions
24
Recommendation
Fifth Report - Health assessments for b…
Accepted
We are reassured to hear that the process for claiming Attendance Allowance seems to broadly be working well. However, we were concerned about the challenges around take-up, which reflect those around Pension Credit. We recommend DWP develop targeted interventions to improve awareness of Attendance Allowance, working closely with organisations that …
Government response. The Department states information on Attendance Allowance is already widely available, and they are introducing a digital claim journey as part of wider Service Modernisation plans.
Department for Work and Pensions
27
Recommendation
Fifth Report - Health assessments for b…
Accepted
We recommend that the Government evaluate the performance of the Health Transformation Programme within the current Health Transformation Areas, and publish its findings, before further rollout, akin to the Scottish Government’s evaluation of the Adult Disability Payment. (Paragraph 116) Health assessments for benefits 93
Government response. The Department has published an evaluation strategy for the Health Transformation Programme on the 25 May 2023, and commits to publishing information about the programme’s performance and evaluation at points when the service is suitably developed and robust.
Department for Work and Pensions
28
Recommendation
Fifth Report - Health assessments for b…
Accepted
The Scottish Government is attempting to take a different approach to disability assessment. Its Adult Disability Payment (ADP) is likely to prove a good test of whether problems with Personal Independence Payment are in its policy framework, or its implementation. We are encouraged by its plans to evaluate fully the …
Government response. The Department agrees and has published an evaluation strategy for the Health Transformation Programme which will use a combination of impact and process evaluation to assess current and future performance, with metrics used to monitor progress and inform decision-making.
Department for Work and Pensions
29
Recommendation
Fifth Report - Health assessments for b…
Accepted
The Department has made, and continues to make, reforms to improve PIP assessment and WCA processes. But the pace of change has been extremely slow. The plans to scrap WCAs are significant and will require further scrutiny in the months and years to come. In the meantime, too many people …
Government response. The Department has made progress with its plans to test the Severe Disability Group, so that the relevant claimants can benefit from a simplified process.
Department for Work and Pensions