Test review shows gradual improvement

Sunil Peck

The testing of a disabled person’s capacity for work is improving slowly, a review has found.

The review of the Work Capability Assessment, carried out by occupational health specialist Professor Malcolm Harrington, is the second of five reviews.

It comes a year after his first review found that the test was unfair.

Speaking to Disability Now after the launch of his latest review, Professor Harrington said that critics who felt the system had not changed should be patient because it was taking time to roll out his proposals.

He said: “The Government has improved the initial spiel which is given over the phone to applicants and it’s clearer, less threatening and more empathetic.”

Professor Harrington added that decision makers were being trained to make better-informed decisions by, for example, including evidence from a claimant’s doctor, a move that he hoped would lead to a reduction in the number of appeals from early 2012.

“Why can’t we get it right straight away? Judges are upholding 40 per cent of these appeals on the basis of new inform­ation. If decision makers initially had the same information as judges, they ought to come to the same conclusions.”

Mark Baker, co-chair of the Disability Benefits Consortium, said that he was encouraged that Professor Harrington believed that the system was improving.

“Efforts have been made to improve the system,” he said, “but we are concerned that progress has been slow and fundamental problems remain with the assessment process for Employment Support Allowance applicants.”

Richard Hawkes, chief executive of Scope, said that the Government also needed to look at how the tests could take account of the barriers to employment faced by disabled people.

He added: “It’s clear that they need to make the system more accurate, more efficient and better at sharing information. Once the initial assessment has been completed, the information seems to go into a bureaucratic black hole. Often organisations that implement the Government’s back-to-work programmes have to start working with disabled people again from scratch, causing added expense and time.”

Accepting Professor Harrington’s latest set of recommendations, Minister for Employment, Chris Grayling said it was in everybody’s interest that the assessment was as fair and consistent as possible.

“Those who are found fit for work will get the help and support they need to get a job,” he said. “Those found too sick or disabled to work won’t be expected to and will continue to receive the help and support they need.”

Professor Harrington’s third review of the Work Capability Assessment will be published towards the end of 2012.