Select Committee · Public Accounts Committee

Revising health assessments for disability benefits

Status: Closed Opened: 24 May 2023 Closed: 8 Mar 2024 11 recommendations 20 conclusions 1 report

In 2021-22 the Department for Work & Pensions (DWP) spent £63.1 billion on a range of benefits to support people with a disability or health condition. This includes Personal Independence Payments, Employment and Support Allowance and certain Universal Credit payments. DWP undertakes a health assessment of the claimant to decide on their eligibility for these …

Reports

1 report

Title	HC No.	Published	Items	Response
Third Report - Revising health assessments for disability b…	HC 79	29 Nov 2023	31	Responded

Recommendations & Conclusions

2 items

1 Conclusion Third Report - Revising health assessme… Acknowledged

Committee scrutinises Health Transformation Programme evidence from DWP and external stakeholders.

On the basis of a report by the Comptroller and Auditor General, we took evidence from the Department for Work & Pensions (the Department) about the Health Transformation Programme (the Programme).1 We also received and considered written evidence from organisations which support people with disabilities.

Government response. The government notes the Committee’s conclusion regarding its evidence-gathering process for the Health Transformation Programme.

HM Treasury

10 Recommendation Third Report - Revising health assessme… Acknowledged

Health Transformation Areas are testing radical changes in health assessment service delivery.

The Department plans to complete the Programme by 2029 with the launch of a new health assessment service. This will require the Department to develop both a new digital system and an operational service to process claims, which both need to be tested.15 In 2021, the Department introduced health transformation …

Government response. The government agrees with the recommendation, stating that FAS contracts contain levers to enable supplier involvement, including test and learn activity and expansion of the new Health Assessment Service (HAS), with suppliers incentivized through partnership and gainshare. It will develop …

HM Treasury

Oral evidence sessions

1 session

Date	Witnesses
6 Jul 2023	James Bolton · Department for Work and Pensions, Katie Farrington · Department for Work and Pensions, Peter Schofield CB · Department for Work and Pensions	View ↗

Correspondence

1 letter

Date	Direction	Title
19 Sep 2023	—	Correspondence from James Bolton, Senior Responsible Owner, Health Transformati…