Disabled No Longer Face Long-Term Sickness Reassessments Claim DWP

Tens of thousands of people with severe illnesses or disabilities will no longer face reassessments to claim the main benefit for long-term sickness.

People with “a severe, lifelong disability, illness or health condition”, and those who are unlikely to move into work again, will be exempt from reassessments for employment and support allowance (ESA).

“Instead, they have been offered with a vague statement with no specific guarantees at all.”

Applicants for ESA have to undergo a work capability assessment to find out if they are eligible and they are retested to ensure their condition has not changed.

Some are retested every three months and others up to two years later.

Under the Government’s change, those who are deemed unfit for work and with conditions that will not improve will no longer face retesting.

A Department for Work and Pensions spokesman said: “This positive change ensures that the right protections are in place.

“People with severe health conditions or disabilities that are not going to improve will no longer need to attend routine assessments.”

Some 2.4 million people claim ESA across the UK, which pays claimants on average £118 a week.

Image: Phil Reynolds, Parkinsons UK

Phil Reynolds, senior policy and campaigns adviser at Parkinson’s UK, said: “These new criteria are a big step in the right direction but it is still not clear how many people with Parkinson’s this will now benefit.

Image: PIP Campaigners

Not everyone is so impressed however; this is what one claimant has to say:

'Perhaps the govt could have started helping sick people more by, after having checked out Maximus' corrupt background, not then using them. Maximus were fined millions in the USA for defrauding Medicaid and they are going to be used for Work Capability Assessments for another 2 years here. In health social security websites more and more genuinely ill people are being given 0 points. What they have to go through to appeal takes weeks to months, whilst they try and live on £73 a week. The govt. rule by fear. Not one genuine person should be treated like this. They even have to pay for dual tape recorders themselves, as there is such a lack of them available from the DWP. (If there's not one available, people have to wait months for a new appointment). Initial DWP forms tell people not to pay out for medical information, as they will contact drs. They have an 80% turn down target after patients send in initial form. THE DWP THEN HAVE THE NERVE TO SAY THAT AT APPEAL, LACK OF MEDICAL EVIDENCE IS THE REASON PEOPLE ARE TURNED DOWN. 75% of patients have their social security reinstated at Appeal now. How disgusting that genuine patients are pulled from pillar to post, wasting so much taxpayers money, FOUND GUILTY UNTIL THEY PROVE THEY'RE INNOCENT. Despicable.'