Announcements have been made today about the future of the Work Capability Assessment.
The Government’s appointed Independent Reviewer of the Work Capability Assessment, Paul Litchfield, has released his final report, recommending a series of changes to improve the process.
Meanwhile, the Government has outlined its plans for action in relation to harsh criticisms made by the Work and Pensions Select Committee earlier this year.
Claire Nurden, Senior Policy Officer at the MS Society and Co-Chair of the Disability Benefits Consortium, said:
“The fit to work test is failing disabled people, with devastating consequences. Wrong decisions can mean people are left with little or no support at all, in some cases struggling to pay for their homes and basic essentials like food and heating”.
“Significant changes need to be made urgently to stop disabled people suffering at the hands of the process as it currently stands. The test has to be more than a box-ticking approach and properly recognise the barriers many disabled people face in getting and staying in work.
“As things stand, this will be the last opportunity to shine a light on this broken test. Government should be committing to further independent reviews to monitor the impact of the test on hundreds of thousands of disabled people. All political parties must explain how they will improve the test if elected next year.”
Notes to editors
The Disability Benefits Consortium (DBC) is a national coalition of over 50 different charities and other organisations committed to working towards a fair benefits system.
Using our combined knowledge, experience and direct contact with millions of disabled individuals and carers, we seek to ensure Government policy reflects and meets the needs of all disabled people.
Disability Benefits Consortium 