1. The Work Capability Assessment
Keep this slide on at the end of your presentation while you answer questions
Sue Royston
Social Policy Officer
Citizens Advice
12/4/2018

2. Outline A brief guide to Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
What is the WCA and what does it measure?
The changes to the WCA in April 2011
How well does it measure barriers to work?
What are the implications of this for the work programme
Assessment processes in other countries
A way forward?

3. A brief guide to Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
The structure of ESA
The support group
The Work Related Activity Group
Where the WCA fits into the assessment process
Exemptions
ESA50
WCA

4. What is the WCA and what does it measure?
Functional assessment
A brief guide to the descriptors
Exceptional circumstances

5. Changes ESA (CB) limit of 1 yr for those in WRAG (April 2012)
Review by Professor Harrington
Rollout to all on IB Spring 2011 to 2014
New people 13 weeks on basic rate then WCA
Those on IB don’t need to apply – go straight to assessment process
New descriptors

6. The new descriptors What is changing
Assessment (WCA) – new regulations from March 2011
Support Gp (10% - predicted to become 11%)
WRAG (24% - predicted to become 14%)
Fit for work (66%% - predicted to become 75%)

7. Review by Professor Harrington
Last year’s review
Mental health descriptors
Treatment of variable conditions
Real world elements

8. How well does it measure barriers to work?
Functional assessment
Exemptions very limited
Claimants with a life expectancy of less than 5 years
Evidence of problems
Citizens Advice statistics
DWP survey

9. The evidence Evidence from Citizens Advice
Many claimants who clearly cant work
Many claimants who face substantial barriers to work
Evidence from survey (DWP research report 745) - 1 yr after being found fit for work
29% in work
22% claiming JSA
43% neither working or claiming benefits

10. What are the implications for claimants
WCA decides 4 things
Level of benefit
Level of support into work
Conditionality
Extra financial support in work
Is work good for your health and wellbeing? “those who move off benefits but do not enter work are more likely to report a deterioration in health and well-being”
Marmot report
“good work is good for you”

11. What are the implications for the work programme?
Often a very negative process
Frequent appeals
Worry about revolving door
Claimants in WRAG who have a condition which is deteriorating and who have a limited life expectancy
Funding is linked to level of benefit not barriers to work

12. Barriers to work Qualifications, age and work experience
looking at effect of impairment on level of disadvantage
Impact of underlying condition
levels of fatigue
deteriorating condition
Barriers in the workplace

13. Assessment process in other countries
Collection of medical evidence from claimants HCP
Holistic decision looking at all barriers to work and deciding if job can do
eg USA (underlying functional assessment )& invalidity benefit here. Netherlands also use this
eg Australia uses more holistic assessment for deciding level of support
Rule based system eg USA
More diagnostic process eg Denmark

14. A way forward
Automatic entry to support group for those with limited life expectancy and deteriorating condition
Assessment more holistic
Trial of more diagnostic assessment

15. Questions and comments
12/4/2018