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
3 results
Clear
10 Recommendation Rejected
Fifth Report - Health assessments …
We recognise that reducing waiting times is vital to ensuring people get the support that...
We recognise that reducing waiting times is vital to ensuring people get the support that they need. However, we are keenly aware that delays are still happening. In line with our recommendation that the Department set clearance time targets, we … Read more
Government Response
The government rejected the recommendation to pay PIP applicants an assessment rate if clearance time targets are missed, stating that PIP is not an income replacement benefit and payment could lead to inappropriate expenditure of public funds, as around half of new PIP claims referred for assessment do not receive an award.
Department for Work and Pensions
View details
21 Recommendation Rejected
Fifth Report - Health assessments …
The vast majority of assessments are still not recorded and auditing the reports may not...
The vast majority of assessments are still not recorded and auditing the reports may not pick up discrepancies between what a claimant has said or done in an assessment, and what is recorded in the report. We recommend the Department … Read more
Government Response
The Department remains committed to retaining audio recording on an opt-in basis, giving claimants the choice of having their assessment recorded.
Department for Work and Pensions
View details
25 Recommendation Rejected
Fifth Report - Health assessments …
We agree that the easement for signing forms on behalf of people with terminal mesothelioma...
We agree that the easement for signing forms on behalf of people with terminal mesothelioma and lung cancer was a positive development in the pandemic. The Department should make this permanent and bring the rules on advisers signing forms in … Read more
Government Response
The Department considers that there is already appropriate provision in place given appointee provisions and generous entitlement rules for the most vulnerable IIDB claimants, and states there is no equivalent legislative provision within IIDB for the definition of 'terminally ill'.
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