DWP announces major change for some claiming benefits: Check if you’re affected

According to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), they have surveyed eight and a half thousand benefits claimants and found ‘a profound lack of trust in the system’. In a bid to improve people’s experience, the organisation is now working with a long list of suggestions that aim to reduce stress and increase the efficiency of the processes.

Health assessment is an essential step when making a benefits claim based on disability. It can be daunting and complex, with waiting times affecting people’s chances toaccess money they desperately need.

The DWP believes that recording it will give a possibility to review cases more accurately without having to go to appeal and ‘help assessors to learn from past mistakes’.

Together with other improvements, it could drive down the high rate of decisions reversed on appeal, which still stands at 69% for Personal Independence Payment (PIP).

DWP is set to record all disability health assessments

DWP announced that people claiming benefits who are subject to health assessments as part of their claim process are set to have their consultations recorded from next year.

DWP gathers health information about claimants via the Health Assessment Advisory Service which evaluates how their illness or disability affects their daily life. The process can take place face-to-face, by phone, or by video.

The organisation has confirmed plans to move to a new platform in 2024 and make enhancements to its video assessment applications, which will bring the ability to record all disability health benefit consultations.

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Other changes that can affect benefits claimants

It comes just a week after it was proposed in a report by the Work and Pensions Committee that all assessments should be recorded by default,with the option for claimants to opt out.

DWP believes that the recorded footage can be used to review cases more accurately without having to go to appeal and provide valuable data in order to avoid mistakes in the future.

It adds that some of the suggestions could drive down the high rate of decisions reversed on appeal, which still stands at 69% for Personal Independence Payment (PIP).

It was earlier decided that Work Capability Assessments are set to be scrapped but are expected to remain in place until at least 2026.

Other improvements the organisation is working with included allowing claimants to choose between in-person or remote sessions, extending the deadline to return forms, and introducing targets to reduce assessment waiting times, as well as payments to those who have been forced to wait beyond these new targets.

Committee Chair Sir Stephen Timms said:

All this will give much-needed transparency to a process that so few trusts yet affects their lives so fundamentally.

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Sources used:

- Chronicle Live: 'DWP set to record all disability health assessments from next year in system shake-up'