LWRAC review

huckster

I think the assessments are as long as they need to be and the reports are of same length etc. I don't think time is the issue.

One possible issue is the number completed by phone calls, where the person being assessed cannot be contacted e.g. mobile signal issues, phone not working. Landlines which are more reliable are being removed by phone companies and if mobile phone connectivity is patchy, then a good percentage of assessments are having to be rearranged. Which is then adding to the problem.

DWP are completing more by phone calls, as there is currently not enough capacity at assessment centres to complete the assessments face to face. Also some of the assessors are most likely working from home and not from a contact centre, so the assessments have to be by phone call.

Phone call assessments are not as good as face to face, as the assessors cannot see how the person is affected by health and is going on what is said or on paper.

The whole assessment process needs to be radically overhauled, with the assessment providers having assessors based in a large number of local venues all around the country. And too many are referred for an assessment just because they provide a fit note for more than 28 days, when they are likely to return to employment or be able to look for work within a few months. So there needs to be a better process in selecting only those that need an assessment.

NedS

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81932516#Comment_81932516

Our local assessment centre has 6 face to face appointment slots per day. When things are running normally, on average 4 people would attend, so one assessor would on average conduct 4 assessments per day.

Given the time required to conduct a face to face assessment, and write and submit their report and recommendation, that cannot really change. There is no reason to think the current backlog would affect the quality of (face to face) assessments or their outcomes.

ET22

. I was diagnosed with a severe health problem and they wanted to review it in 12 months. Hopefully the decision makers will read the initial assessment recommendations for timescales and leave me alone. A 12 month review wasn't appropriate. Most people don't recover and definitely not in 12 months.