The Work Capability Assessment – A Call for Evidence: Year 3 Independent Review – Questions

The Work Capability Assessment – A Call for Evidence: Year 3 Independent Review – Questions

Question 1

a) Have you had more than one WCA?
YES / NO

b) Was your most recent WCA:
(Please select only one)
• A reassessment of an existing Incapacity Benefit (IB) award?
• A new claim for Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)?
• A repeat (second or third) WCA having already been awarded Employment and Support Allowance?

If you answered YES to Question 1a), please go to Question 2
If you answered NO to Question 1a), please go to Question 9
Question 2
Please tell us where you live in Great Britain
(Please select only one)
1. South East England
2. South West England
3. North East England
4. North West England
5. Midlands
6. Scotland
7. Wales

Question 3
Were you assessed for:
(Please select only one)
1. A mental, intellectual or cognitive condition or disability
2. A physical health condition or disability
3. Both

Question 4
What was the outcome of your award?
1. Found fit for work
2. Work related activity
3. Support group

Question 5 (communications)
a) Thinking about the start of your claim, were there any changes in the telephone contact between you and DWP between your first and your most recent WCA?
(Please select only one)
• There has been an improvement
• It was not as good
• There was no change

b) Between your first and your last WCA, did you notice any changes to the written communications which DWP sent you?
(Please select only one)
• There has been an improvement
• It was not as good
• There was no change

c) The ESA50 form has been amended; please can you tell us if you think:
(Please select only one)
• There has been an improvement
• It was not as good
• There was no change

Please use this space to tell us anything that is relevant to communications during the WCA process


Question 6 (face to face assessment)

a) Was there a notable difference between your first and your most recent face to face assessment?

• First was better
• Last was better
• There was no difference

Please use the space below us to tell us anything else that you think is relevant to the face to face assessment

Question 7 (decision making)

a) Since your last WCA, did you notice a difference in the way in which the outcome of your WCA was communicated to you by a decision maker?
(Please select only one)
• There has been an improvement
• It was not as good
• There was no change

b) If you provided additional evidence in support of your claim (e.g. from a GP, consultant or support worker), was this evidence taken fully into account by the decision maker?
(Please select only one)
• Evidence was considered and it changed the original decision
• Evidence was considered and it did not change the original decision
• Evidence was supplied but not reconsidered
• Not applicable

Please use the space below us to tell us anything else that you think is relevant to the decision making process


Question 8 (Organisations)

This section should only be completed if you are responding on behalf of an organisation. The call for evidence has been designed specifically with the experiences of the claimant in mind but the Department is aware that organisations may also want to contribute to the call for evidence. Please use this section to comment on the experiences that people you represent have been experiencing since the introduction of Professor Harrington’s recommendations. You are asked to describe each part of the process, using bullet points to summarise the individual parts of the process. Any further evidence should be given at question 11.
Communications

Face to face assessment

Decision Making

Fairness and Effectiveness
Question 9
Overall, how fair do you feel that the assessment was?

Question 10
Overall, how effective do you feel that the process was?

Looking forwards
Question 11
What one thing (if any) would you change about the WCA to make the system better for people claiming ESA?
Please use the space below to give us your comments.

Question 12
Is there anything else, relevant to the WCA, that you would like to tell us about?
Please use the space below to give us your comments.