Health assessments for benefits

Work and Pensions Committee Closed Inquiry
Opened: 27 Sep 2021 Closed: 7 Aug 2023 Parliament page
The Committee investigated the assessment processes for health-related benefits. These include Personal Independence Payment (PIP), Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), Disability Living Allowance (DLA), Attendance Allowance and Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit. The Committee is focusing on how the Department for Work and Pensions can improve the application and assessment processes … Read more
25 Recommendations
4 Conclusions
2 Reports
9 Oral sessions
3 Letters
9 Events
Activity timeline 24 events
12 Jul
2023
Correspondence
26 Jun
2023
Report published
14 Apr
2023
Report published
14 Apr
2023
Report published
7 Sep
2022
Correspondence
7 Sep
2022
Correspondence
20 Jul
2022
Oral evidence
20 Jul
2022
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · Room 8, Palace of Westminster
29 Jun
2022
Oral evidence
29 Jun
2022
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · Room 6, Palace of Westminster
22 Jun
2022
Oral evidence
22 Jun
2022
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · Room 6, Palace of Westminster
Oral evidence sessions 9 sessions
20 Jul 2022
View on parliament.uk
Work and Pensions Committee
Chloe Smith MP · Cabinet Office Gill Holmes · Department for Work and Pensions Katie Farrington · Department for Work and Pensions
29 Jun 2022
View on parliament.uk
Work and Pensions Committee
Ben Macpherson MSP · Scottish Government Matthew Duff · Scottish Government Peter Schofield · Department for Work and Pensions Professor Paul Knight OBE · Social Security Scotland Rt Hon Dr Thérèse Coffey · Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
22 Jun 2022
View on parliament.uk
Work and Pensions Committee
Dr Ben Baumberg Geiger · University of Kent Professor Ben Barr · University of Liverpool
25 May 2022
View on parliament.uk
Work and Pensions Committee
Antony King · Capita Dr Barrie McKillop · Independent Assessment Services Dr Paul Williams · Maximus Emma-Jane Bannister · Maximus Laura Erskine · Capita Stuart Paterson · Independent Assessment Services Suzie Frew · Maximus
11 May 2022
View on parliament.uk
Work and Pensions Committee
Aaron Dryden · Carers UK Caroline Selman · Public Law Project Daphne Hall · National Association of Welfare Rights Advisers (NAWRA) Dr Kieran Sharrock · British Medical Association (BMA) Hannah Nicholls-Harrison · Disability Benefits Consortium Mark Jackson · Marie Curie Minesh Patel · Mind
30 Mar 2022
View on parliament.uk
Work and Pensions Committee
Andy Pike · The Royal British Legion Caroline Cooke · Forces in Mind Trust Philip Martin · University of Salford/Sanctions, Support and Service Leavers
16 Mar 2022
View on parliament.uk
Work and Pensions Committee
Catherine Hale · Chronic Illness Inclusion Project Jane Hunt · Association of Disabled Professionals Jasmine Wyeth · Rethink Mental Illness Patricia Vespucio · GIPSIL Sarah Rawlings · MS Society Tracey Lazard · Inclusion London
12 Jan 2022
View on parliament.uk
Work and Pensions Committee
Charles Smith · Citizens Advice Evan John · Sense Hannah Nicholls-Harrison · Mencap Helen Wild · Down’s Syndrome Association Joanne Gordon · Asbestos Victims Support Groups’ Forum UK Louise Rubin · Scope Marc Francis · Zacchaeus 2000 Trust (Z2K) Morgan Vine · Independent Age Sophie Corlett · Mind
1 Dec 2021
View on parliament.uk
Work and Pensions Committee
Dr Paul Litchfield CBE · Department for Work and Pensions Paul Gray CB · Department for Work and Pensions
Title HC No. Published Items Response
Easy Read - Health assessments for benefits: summary HC 128 14 Apr 2023 0
Fifth Report - Health assessments for benefits HC 128 14 Apr 2023 29 Responded
Recommendations & Conclusions
10 results
Clear
4 Conclusion Accepted
Fifth Report - Health assessments …
We are deeply concerned to hear that nearly five years after our predecessor’s Report, people...
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 … Read more
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
View details
6 Recommendation Accepted
Fifth Report - Health assessments …
We note the Department has made changes to improve training for health professionals around mental...
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
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
View details
9 Recommendation Accepted
Fifth Report - Health assessments …
The application and assessment process can be very stressful for claimants, and unacceptable delays are...
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
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
View details
11 Recommendation Accepted
Fifth Report - Health assessments …
The process of issuing a UC50 form should be automatic, and claimants should not have...
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
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
View details
15 Conclusion Accepted
Fifth Report - Health assessments …
Just as a one-size-fits-all approach does not work for assessments, the same is true for...
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 … Read more
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 paper-based forms.
Department for Work and Pensions
View details
19 Recommendation Accepted
Fifth Report - Health assessments …
DWP has introduced changes to the Mandatory Reconsideration process that it says make it a...
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
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
View details
24 Recommendation Accepted
Fifth Report - Health assessments …
We are reassured to hear that the process for claiming Attendance Allowance seems to broadly...
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
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
View details
27 Recommendation Accepted
Fifth Report - Health assessments …
We recommend that the Government evaluate the performance of the Health Transformation Programme within the...
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
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
View details
28 Recommendation Accepted
Fifth Report - Health assessments …
The Scottish Government is attempting to take a different approach to disability assessment.
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
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
View details
29 Recommendation Accepted
Fifth Report - Health assessments …
The Department has made, and continues to make, reforms to improve PIP assessment and WCA...
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
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
View details
Government Response AI assessment · 29 of 25 classified
Accepted 10
Accepted in Part 1
Acknowledged 6
Deferred 2
Not Addressed 7
Rejected 3
Total 25 recs + 4 conclusions
Correspondence 3 letters
12 Jul 2023 Correspondence with the Minister for Disabled People, Health and Work relating to the Government's Response to the Health assessments for benefits report
Parliament page
7 Sep 2022 Correspondence from the Minister for Disabled People, Health and Work following oral evidence for the health assessments for benefits inquiry
Parliament page
7 Sep 2022 Correspondence from Social Security Scotland in connection with the health assessments for benefits inquiry
Parliament page