Fifth Report - Health assessments for benefits

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 … Read more 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. Show less

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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. … Read more 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 explicit clearance time targets with appropriate sanctions where these are missed. Show less

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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 … Read more 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 points of failure identified to improve the process while the Work Capability Assessment and UC50 forms remain in use. Show less

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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 … Read more 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 does not provide any data on Mandatory Reconsideration decisions for UC WCAs. Without this, we cannot know whether Mandatory Reconsideration is functioning effectively for one of the largest groups of claimants that rely on it. We recognise the Government has announced it intends to scrap WCAs, but they will remain in use for several years. When the Government begins to publish data on UC WCAs from June 2023, it must also include data on Mandatory Reconsiderations. DWP should also work with HM Courts and Tribunal Service to ensure it has an accurate understanding of the scale of disability-related UC Tribunals as part of the wider Tribunal Service caseload. Show less

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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 … Read more 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 could reach people who may be eligible. The Department’s work on support and advocacy as part of the Health Transformation Programme should also specifically consider tailored support for Attendance Allowance applicants. Show less

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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 … Read more 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 Show less

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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. … Read more 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 ADP pilot, and in particular plans to engage with disabled people as part of the evaluation. We recommend DWP take a similar approach in evaluating its Health Transformation Programme measures. Furthermore, when the Scottish Government publishes its planned evaluation, DWP should learn from the results and consider what changes, if any, it should make to its benefit assessments. Show less

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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 … Read more 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 claiming disability and health-related benefits, even those not directly affected by poor decision- making, continue to view the processes with great trepidation, and for a minority the experience of assessment can be devastating. The continuing high overturn rates at appeal suggest fundamental flaws in the assessment system. We recommend that while it develops its long-term plans to remove WCAs, DWP accelerates improvements to health assessments in the short-term. We have suggested some areas for change in this Report to start that process—recording of assessments and sharing reports to increase transparency are key, and these should be implemented without delay. (Paragraph 125) 94 Health assessments for benefits Show less

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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 …

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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 …

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