Chloe Smith questions Minister for Disability on testing for Work Capability

Chloe Smith, Member of Parliament for Norwich North and Member of the Work and Pensions Select Committee, today quizzed the Minister for Disability at a seminar hosted by the Department of Work and Pensions and Atos Healthcare, who run DWP's medical assessments.

The seminar focused on the accuracy of medical assessments for benefit entitlements and follows the Government's reform of Incapacity Benefit (IB) contained in the 2007 Welfare Reform Act. The reform has seen the introduction of the Work Capability Assessment (WCA) in October 2008 for new claimants of Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) which replaced Incapacity Benefit for new claimants. The WCA has replaced the old Personal Capability Assessment (PCA) which was used to assess claimants of Incapacity Benefit.

This autumn, the remainder of IB claimants will undergo the WCA to determine whether they are capable for work and the financial benefits they are entitled to receive.

Chloe questioned the Minister on the use of ‘drop down boxes' rather than independent thinking in the assessment, joining other MPs in highlighting examples of outrageous wording or unreasonable conclusions drawn in many constituents' cases. In some reported cases doctors ignore medical history and the effects of fluctuating conditions.

Commenting on the seminar Chloe Smith said:

"I believe it is crucial that the test accurately assesses people's suitability for work and makes sure that people are on the right benefit. However, the WCA must not be merely a box-ticking exercise. If the doctors cannot use independent thought to assess cases, and take medical history into account, then people suffer unnecessary generalisation. That leads to frustration and unjust disadvantage. People who genuinely cannot work because of a disability or illness should never be forced to work and should receive support through the benefits system.

"In a response to a Parliamentary Question tabled this year it was revealed that 8,800 appeals to ‘fit for work' decisions made by Atos had taken place by the end of December. We must make sure that professional doctors are free to do their job and judge properly whether someone is fit to work. There will be a huge volume of necessary assessments to be made this autumn but I warn that those assessments must still be thorough and effective."