Work and Pensions Committee question Atos

UKParliament

Our goal is to post up information on work undertaken in the House of Commons that has a consumer focus but which may not be highlighted elsewhere.

We have posted this on the Disability & Dosh board because we thought some of you might be interested in the topic and some of you may have submitted evidence to the Committee as part of this inquiry. We encourage discussion and comments concerning the topic or content of this thread.

On Monday 9 June at 4.30pm The Work and Pensions Committee, as part of their inquiry into Employment and Support Allowance and Work Capability Assessments will be holding their next evidence session, with Atos called as witnesses.

Witnesses:

• Lisa Coleman, Senior Vice President, Health Market, Atos,
• Dr Angela Graham, Clinical Director, and
• Helen Hall, Head of Communications and Customer Relations, Atos Healthcare

The session will consider:

• Atos’s role in the process before the face to face assessment and claimants’ experience of the process
• The design and delivery of the WCA
• The contract for delivering the WCA, including the relationship between quality and productivity, and Atos’s early exit from the contract
• The ESA decision-making process, including outcomes and appeals
• Future delivery of the WCA

How to watch:

The Evidence Session can be viewed live on Parliament TV (Silverlight or Windows Media Player required to stream TV): Work and Pension Select Committee: 9 June 2014

We will post up a transcript of the evidence session once it becomes available


Further Sessions:

Time/date: Wednesday 11 June at 9.30 am
Witnesses: Department for Work and Pensions Minister and officials

Thanks
DOT

HB58

The problem, as I see it, is that the Select Committee don't really have any 'teeth' when it comes to bringing ministers to heel!

UKParliament

Final Evidence session:

Wednesday 11 June 2014, at 9.30am

Witnesses:

From the Department for Work and Pensions:

• Rt Hon Mike Penning MP, Minister of State for Disabled People
• Jason Feeney CBE, Benefits Director
• James Bolton, Deputy Director, Health and Wellbeing Directorate
• Iain Walsh, Deputy Director, Working Age Benefits Division

The session will consider:

• The effectiveness of the WCA, including the findings of the Evidence Based Review
• Key concerns about the delivery of the WCA by Atos, and how these issues may be resolved with the new provider
• The ESA decision-making process
• ESA outcomes and reassessments
• Mandatory reconsideration and appeals
• The interaction between ESA and Universal Credit

How to watch:

The session will be available live on Parliament TV Player

After this final evidence session, the Committee will write their report based on all their evidence from written submissions and witnesses before submitting their conclusions to the Government.

The Government then has 8 weeks to respond to the Committee's recommendations.

We'll make sure to post up a link to the report so you can take a look, as well as the Government's response.

Thanks
DOT

UKParliament

HB58 wrote: »

The problem, as I see it, is that the Select Committee don't really have any 'teeth' when it comes to bringing ministers to heel!

hi HB58!

Select Committees might not always be perceived to have 'teeth' in the evidence sessions, but the recommendations from the Committee Reports can make a difference.

Recently a Committee raised an issue (pointed out by a member of the public) that a Minister had not been aware of and as a result the law was changed: http://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/commons-select/communities-and-local-government-committee/news/askpickles-council-agendas/

Hope this is useful?
DOT

DomRavioli

One occasion out of how many hundred though...clutching at straws. People have died because of ATOS.

UKParliament

We have the trasncripts of the evidence sessions with both Atos and the Ministers available now, for those who mgiht be interested in what sort of questions were asked -

• Oral Evidence to the Work and Pensions Committee: Atos
• Oral Evidence to the Work and Pensions Committee: Ministers

We hope this is of interest?
Thanks
DOT