Forum Home → Discussion → Disability benefits → Thread
Health Transformation Programme
22 July 2024 DWP’s Annual Report and Accounts 2023/24
Latest on the trials that came out of the White Paper, from p52. Doesn’t look good for Enhanced Support Service.
‘In 2023-24, the Department expanded the Employment and Health Discussion (EHD) test and made progress on Condition-Focused Assessors work. The Department also began testing a Health Impact Record, introduced a new initiative for the Severe
Disability Group, and concluded the Enhanced Support Service (ESS) proof of concept.
‘The Department expanded the EHD test to 13 sites across England and Wales in October 2023. The EHD is led by a healthcare professional and focuses on how DWP can help people to overcome their barriers to moving towards work.
‘Work on Condition-Focused Assessors also progressed. In Autumn 2023, in Health Transformation Area sites in London and Birmingham, small-scale testing started, matching certain PIP, UC and ESA claimants’ primary health condition to an existing
assessor with professional experience of supporting people with that condition. The aim is to understand whether claimants view this different approach positively and if it improves their trust in the assessment process. This test was expanded in January 2024
to include claimants with multiple conditions.
‘The Department is testing a new initiative, the Severe Disability Group, for people with the most severe health conditions, so they do not need to complete a detailed application form or go through an assessment. This policy is being tested on a small
scale across a range of health conditions. Insight will then be gathered from service users, DWP colleagues and organisations to make sure it works as intended.
‘Testing of the Enhanced Support Service proof of concept concluded in March 2024. The Enhanced Support Service provided bespoke personalised support for vulnerable people who find it hardest to use the benefits system, such as those who do not
have friends or family to support them. It was not a universal service. This test has provided insights into how the Department can provide support and assistance to vulnerable citizens.’
8 August 2024
Goodbye to the Capita, Atos, Maximus trinity - new assessment provider arrangements from 9th September. Also DWP shares an update on other PIP plans (pre-decision explanation calls, uses of AI) and testing of making more WCA/PIP decisions without assessments
Rightsnet write-up and a link to the slides:
https://www.rightsnet.org.uk/welfare-rights/news/item/dwp-exploring-transformed-decision-making-model-to-enable-quality-decisions-to-be-made-on-some-new-pip-claims-without-a-health-assessment
Lots of misleading (and some factually inaccurate) coverage of the move to new assessment provider contracts.
Some news outlets reporting or implying that PIP assessments and WCAs are being merged from September, with this news quickly spreading across Facebook etc.
See attached - published 29th or 30th Aug.
File Attachments
- BEFORE_DWP_is_changing_PIP_assessments_from_September_–_what_you_need_to_know_The_Independent.pdf (File Size: 4897KB - Downloads: 32)
Here’s the corrected version of the same article, published 3rd Sept.
You’ll see the first confidently says that September:
‘will see all benefits that require a functional health assessment rolled into a ‘single assessment’ as part of the DWP’s Health Transformation programme. This means PIP assessments, as well as Work Capability Assessments for ESA and Universal Credit, will all be assessed in the same way and at the same time.’
The new version says that September:
‘will see all benefits that require a functional health assessment carried out by a single provider in any given region as part of the DWP’s Health Transformation programme.’
There’s no acknowledgement of the correction in the story, and the title and first paragraphs are unchanged and misleading.
File Attachments
- AFTER_DWP_is_changing_PIP_assessments_from_September_–_what_you_need_to_know_The_Independent.pdf (File Size: 1953KB - Downloads: 1253)
6 September and 9 September respectively - new versions of the WCA Handbook and PIP Assessment Guide published by the DWP.
In the PIP AG,
- there’s a new process called Proportional Assessment for Severe Disability (possibly a forerunner to/watered-down version of the Severe Disability Group). See paras 1.5.5-7
- there is new information about appointees attending assessments at 1.15.14-23
In the WCA Handbook these might be the most significant changes:
- Section 4.1.3: Audio recording of WCAs - the guidance has changed to match the PIP guidance. Now everyone can get a WCA audio-recorded if they make a request in advance (except video assessment). Claimants also permitted to make their own recordings without the previous rules about recording equipment.
- Section 3.1.3: ‘new text added on reasonable adjustments, reference made to the document DWP: Reasonable Adjustments for Benefit Assessments - Guidance for Healthcare Professionals; text on appointee amended to align with other DWP guidance; ability to bring an alternative person authorised by the appointee removed, mandatory for the appointee to be present at the full WCA (AC or HC F2F/VA/TA); new text on assessments where the appointee is present, but the claimant is not present added to align with other DWP guidance. ‘
PIP Assessment Guide:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/personal-independence-payment-assessment-guide-for-assessment-providers
*Edited to add links and add to the bullet points
[ Edited: 12 Sep 2024 at 03:38 pm by Carri ]17 September 2024 latest HTP management information published
Shows
- number of online claims via PIP Apply
- that the Birmingham Health Transformation Area stopped doing WCAs as of May 2024, now only doing PIP assessments
Dated June 2024, disclosed September 2024
DWP’s guidance on reasonable adjustments for the new WCA+PIP assessment providers
https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/work_capability_assessment_wca_r