The Work and Pensions Committee say that the fundamental flaws in the Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) system are so grave that simply “rebranding” the work capability assessment (WCA) used to determine eligibility for ESA  by appointing a new contractor will not solve the problems in a report published today.

The Committee have called upon the Government to undertake a fundamental redesign of the ESA end-to-end process to ensure that the main purpose of the benefit – supporting claimants with health conditions and disabilities to move into employment where this is possible for them – is achieved.

One of the key issues the Report identifies is that ESA is not achieving its purpose of helping people who could work in the short to medium term to move back into employment.

The redesign is likely take some time, it is anticipated, but it should be completed before the new multi-provider contract is tendered, which is expected to be in 2018.

In the meantime, the Committee recommends that DWP implements a number of other changes in the shorter-term to ensure better outcomes and an improved service for claimants. These include:

• DWP taking overall responsibility for the end-to-end ESA claims process, including taking decisions on whether claimants need a face-to-face assessment, rather than this decision being made by the assessment provider.
• DWP proactively seeking “supporting evidence” on the impact of a claimant’s condition or disability on their functional capacity, rather than leaving this primarily to claimants, who often have to pay for it. DWP should seek this evidence from the most appropriate health and other professionals, including social workers and occupational therapists, rather than relying so heavily on GPs.
• The “descriptors” used to assess functional capability in the WCA being applied more sensitively.
• Placing claimants with a prognosis of being unlikely to experience a change in their functional abilities in the longer-term, particularly those with progressive conditions, in the Support Group and not the WRAG.

Dame Anne Begg MP, Committee Chair, said:

“Many people going through the ESA claims process are unhappy with the way they are treated and the decisions which are made about their fitness for work. The current provider of the WCA, Atos, has become a lightning rod for all the negativity around the ESA process and DWP and Atos have recently agreed to terminate the contract early.

“But it is DWP that makes the decision about a claimant’s eligibility for ESA – the face-to-face assessment is only one part of the process. Just putting a new private provider in place will not address the problems with ESA and the WCA on its own.

“We are therefore calling for a number of changes which can be made to improve ESA in the short-term, while also recommending a longer-term, fundamental redesign of the whole process.

“We hope that the new Minister for Disabled People, who was appointed last week, will respond positively to our constructive recommendations for improving the ESA process.”