All repeat WCA medicals to be stopped

Morglin

This is the whole statement, which seems to suggest ANY forms submitted AFTER 20th January (other than new claims, or where the claimant has asked for review), will be suspended until further notice:

"In an urgent memo obtained by Benefits and Work, the DWP have told staff that due to a growing backlog at Atos all current employment and support allowance (ESA) claimants will be left on the benefit, without further medical checks, until another company can be found to do repeat work capability assessments (WCAs). The memo, dated 20 January, goes on to say that this will reduce the number of claimants moving off ESA, but that there are no plans to inform claimants or MPs about the change.

Benefits and Work obtained the memo from the DWP via a Freedom of Information request. It is headed: ‘FOR URGENT CASCADE. Control of the Referral of Repeat work Capability Assessments’.

The memo explains that back in July a ministerial statement announced that:
“in the drive to continually improve the Work Capability Assessment process and bring down waiting times for claimants, DWP had decided to seek additional capacity to deliver Work Capability Assessments.
“We are working towards having new provision in place – it will of course take some time for that to become fully operational.”

However, the memo goes on to explain that:
“The number of cases currently with Atos Healthcare has grown. A decision has therefore been taken to control the referral of repeat work capability assessments. Therefore, with effect from 20 January 2014, further routine repeat assessments referrals to Atos will be deferred until further notice.
“Controlling the volume of repeat Work Capability Assessments should help us to reduce delays for new claimants and those that have already been referred.”

The memo goes on to say that staff must still refer claimants for reassessment where there has been a reported change in condition, giving the example of a claimant placed in the Work Related Activity Group whose condition worsens and who might be expected to move into the Support Group.

Aside from this, however, reassessment of existing claimants is to end until further notice, with no new cases being referred to Atos from 20th January.

The memo is keen to point out that the decision to stop repeat assessments by Atos is not ‘linked to the quality issues outlined in July 2013’ which the DWP ‘has been working closely with Atos to resolve’. It also reassures readers that the change will have no impact on Atos’ ability to carry out personal independence payment assessments.

It does, however, admit that the result of the change is that the number of people coming off ESA each month will reduce because:
“the Work Capability Assessment is the main trigger for off-flows from the Employment and Support Allowance load. We will continue to assess the potential for alternative interventions on those whose repeat Work Capability Assessments are deferred to seek to manage this consequence.”

No details of what those ‘alternative interventions’ might be is given.

It is clear, however, that the DWP is not keen for people to be aware of the ever more disastrous state of medical assessments for benefits by Atos. The memo explains that claimants who enquire about when their next WCA will be, should only be told that:

“Although the Department will periodically review a person’s Limited Capability for Work, there is no set date for this to happen.

“The timing of this review is at the discretion of the Decision Maker acting on behalf of the Secretary of State and is influenced by the evidence available to them, which can mean on occasion longer periods between face to face assessments. “

In addition, the memo explains that as this is simply an ‘operational decision’ and not a ‘policy change’ there are no plans to notify ‘external stakeholders such as claimants, claimant representative groups, Members of Parliament, etc.’

It is hard to imagine that IDS and his fellow DWP ministers believed that they could keep this further Atos-related failure secret for long: you can’t stop reassessing thousands of claimants a week without anyone noticing. If, however, they could have kept it secret at least until they found a new company to take on the repeat assessments, it would have been easier to explain away and not added to the ever mounting pressure for a complete overhaul of the WCA.

As it is, this news is simply further proof that the WCA is not fit for purpose, because as soon as the DWP attempts to impose proper quality controls a massive backlog results. It is, we hope, another nail in the coffin of a completely discredited system.

And, for all those claimants with static or degenerative conditions who continue to be forced to undergo repeat assessments, often followed by repeat appeals, on an annual basis, the news will come as a welcome respite".

http://www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/new...-to-be-stopped

Lin

sja75

As one of the comments after the B&W article says that existing claimants have being effectively 'parked'.

Good news. It will take a considerable of time for the DWP to find another provider for repeat assessments.

vision2009

The DWP may already have "found" the "new" provider of WCA
http://mikesivier.wordpress.com/2014/02/25/a-thorn-by-any-other-name-atos-changes-to-oh-assist-business-as-usual/

A cunning plan!!!!!!:mad:

sja75

vision2009 wrote: »

The DWP may already have "found" the "new" provider of WCA
http://mikesivier.wordpress.com/2014/02/25/a-thorn-by-any-other-name-atos-changes-to-oh-assist-business-as-usual/

A cunning plan!!!!!!:mad:

I got the impression from the article that the DWP wanted another company in to deal with repeat assessments in addition to ATOS.

If the figures are correct. Some 700,000 plus are awaiting assessment whilst ATOS has a max annual capacity of 250,000 assessments.

Even if this 'new' company is unveiled as your linked article, they are still way behind in assessments, unless they radically change capacity. Don't see how that is going to happen anytime soon.

notechno

What will happen to new claims sent in after 20th January?

mammaluke

notechno wrote: »

What will happen to new claims sent in after 20th January?

Not sure but I'm thinking if the DWP referred your case to Atos before the 20th January, then your reassessment will go ahead. I hope I'm wrong. I recieved my ESA50 on the 1 Jan and sent it back on the 21 Jan which is one Day after the Deadline, I'm a bit confused to say the least. Not sure if I can relax or not. I shall still be Jumping everytime I hear the Letterbox, untill I get a Definitive answer!:eek:

dinkypoo19

I received my appointment for ATOS medical this morning. Sent in ESA50 at the beginning of August 2012. Dreading it again.

mummyofonechild

dinkypoo19 wrote: »

I received my appointment for ATOS medical this morning. Sent in ESA50 at the beginning of August 2012. Dreading it again.

Is this your first appointment/wca as there are suggestions that it is only the repeat appointments being stopped?

Morglin

It seems that any referrals for review that the DWP would have sent to ATOS for actioning on or after 20th January will no longer be sent, at the moment. Any in the system before the 20th January will still go ahead.

New claims, any migrations still outstanding from IB/SDA transfers, and any review that the claimant requests will still be processed.

Lin

mummyofonechild

I sent my 2nd ESA50 back in November 2013 and had a letter about a month ago saying I was still in the support group and the payment rates without having another medical so hopefully that means I won't be called for a while. I did have 2 medicals back in 2012 within a week and saw the same doctor both times. 1 for IIDB and the other for ESA which seemed a bit pointless.