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DWP scrap expert guidance on risk to vulnerable claimants with a mental function problem
Ben Baumberg has also written about this here https://www.rethinkingincapacity.org/return-stricter-wca/ with a link through to a comparison of the old and new guidance https://www.rethinkingincapacity.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/WCA-Handbooks-revisions-2016-vs-2015.pdf
And Ken Butler has also written about it in the latest Disability Rights newsletter http://www.disabilityrightsuk.org/news/2016/september/dramatic-fall-numbers-placed-esa-support-group
Quite alarming reading.
Thanks for posting those Billy. I’ve only had a very quick look at the comparison document above but I’m not sure that it compares the old/new appendix 6 which I think is the most interesting change. The old appendix 6 (download above) gave very clear indications of when assessors should recommend LCWRA, the new guidance does not.
My understanding was that the old guidance was introduced in response to concerns about deaths some people had linked to the WCA. It seems only to have lasted for about a year.
DWP seem to agree that their rewrite of appendix 6 has had a big impact on Support Group decisions. Old appendix 6 can be downloaded above