Independent review

Harrington WCA Review (Year 3)

Work Capability Assessment Independent Review — Year 3

Completed

Professor Malcolm Harrington · Published 20 November 2012 · Commissioned by DWP Employment & Work

Index summary

Third and final annual review by Professor Malcolm Harrington of the Work Capability Assessment. Found significant improvements following Years 1 and 2 and made 3 remaining recommendations on further system refinements.

Original evidence

Report page Report PDF Government response

Government Response

The Department for Work and Pensions published its response to Professor Malcolm Harrington's third independent review of the Work Capability Assessment on 20 November 2012, alongside the review itself. The Government welcomed Professor Harrington's findings, endorsed each of his recommendations and set out how it would work towards achieving them. The third review concluded that, as improvements from the earlier reviews were starting to take effect, no fundamental reforms to the WCA were needed at that stage.

20 November 2012

Recommendations

Recommendation 1

DWP

Link to recommendation

Recommendation · source text

In order to improve the quality of decision making the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions asks the Tribunal Service for timely feedback on reasons for upheld appeals.

Recommendation 2

DWP

Link to recommendation

Recommendation · source text

Rather than an Appeals Officer re-writing the Reasoning valuable time and resources could be saved by adding necessary information to it and then submitting it. The DMs reasoning is then the backbone of the Department’s case for that claim, any reconsideration, and any appeal.

Recommendation 3

DWP

Link to recommendation

Recommendation · source text

I propose that the MJSS of the RCJ CAB identify these cases as they arise and that a designated DWP official is in place to receive notification of each case. The DWP official then oversees the WCA process by ensuring that in the area of the country where the ex-prisoner resides, an experienced Decision Maker takes the case and identifies an Atos healthcare professional (who is an expert in mental health) to undertake the face-to-face assessment.

No recommendations with this response.