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Work capability assessments decision follows years of criticism Work capability assessments decision follows years of criticism
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Many people will welcome the Department for Work and Pension's decision to bring in new providers alongside Atos to perform the work capability assessment (WCA), and to retrain existing Atos staff.Many people will welcome the Department for Work and Pension's decision to bring in new providers alongside Atos to perform the work capability assessment (WCA), and to retrain existing Atos staff.
They will include Sylvia Newman, whose husband, Larry, was found fit for work after an Atos assessment. After a long career in work, he had developed a serious lung condition, his weight had dropped from 10 to seven stone and he had trouble walking and breathing. In order to qualify for employment and support allowance (ESA), the new sickness benefit worth £95 a week, he needed 15 points in the test; he was given zero. He was dismayed to note a number of significant inaccuracies in the Atos report, and decided to appeal, but died from lung problems, before the appeal was heard. One of the last things he said to his wife before doctors put him on a ventilator was: "It's a good job I'm fit for work."They will include Sylvia Newman, whose husband, Larry, was found fit for work after an Atos assessment. After a long career in work, he had developed a serious lung condition, his weight had dropped from 10 to seven stone and he had trouble walking and breathing. In order to qualify for employment and support allowance (ESA), the new sickness benefit worth £95 a week, he needed 15 points in the test; he was given zero. He was dismayed to note a number of significant inaccuracies in the Atos report, and decided to appeal, but died from lung problems, before the appeal was heard. One of the last things he said to his wife before doctors put him on a ventilator was: "It's a good job I'm fit for work."
Last year the Guardian reported on the case of Ruth Anim, who was told after an Atos assessment that she was capable of finding work in the near future, despite the fact she needed constant one-to-one care, had no concept of danger and attended life skills classes to learn practical things like how to make a sandwich or a cup of tea. She was also described in the Atos report as a "male client". Atos apologised for "any discrepancy in our report and any distress this may have caused".Last year the Guardian reported on the case of Ruth Anim, who was told after an Atos assessment that she was capable of finding work in the near future, despite the fact she needed constant one-to-one care, had no concept of danger and attended life skills classes to learn practical things like how to make a sandwich or a cup of tea. She was also described in the Atos report as a "male client". Atos apologised for "any discrepancy in our report and any distress this may have caused".
The DWP announcement marks a significant moment for campaigners who have been trying for years to persuade the government that the system for assessing eligibility for sickness benefit is profoundly flawed.The DWP announcement marks a significant moment for campaigners who have been trying for years to persuade the government that the system for assessing eligibility for sickness benefit is profoundly flawed.
The numbers of people unhappy with a decision over their eligibility are staggeringly high. This week it emerged that the annual cost of appeals against decisions on ESA had risen from £21m in 2009/10 to £66m in 2012/13, and the number of appeals rose from 279,000 to 465,000. New judges and tribunal staff have been recruited to deal with the backlog, and tribunals have started holding Saturday sessions.The numbers of people unhappy with a decision over their eligibility are staggeringly high. This week it emerged that the annual cost of appeals against decisions on ESA had risen from £21m in 2009/10 to £66m in 2012/13, and the number of appeals rose from 279,000 to 465,000. New judges and tribunal staff have been recruited to deal with the backlog, and tribunals have started holding Saturday sessions.
The government has long acknowledged that there are problems with the system. Until now its line has been that "the work capability assessment inherited by this government was not entirely fit for purpose and that is why we have continuously reviewed and refined it". It employed Professor Malcolm Harrington to suggest improvements to the system, and argued that since these improvements were being implemented, it was fine to continue to reassess previous recipients of incapacity benefit – at a rate of approximately 11,000 a week – using the flawed system.The government has long acknowledged that there are problems with the system. Until now its line has been that "the work capability assessment inherited by this government was not entirely fit for purpose and that is why we have continuously reviewed and refined it". It employed Professor Malcolm Harrington to suggest improvements to the system, and argued that since these improvements were being implemented, it was fine to continue to reassess previous recipients of incapacity benefit – at a rate of approximately 11,000 a week – using the flawed system.
The Paris-based IT firm Atos was contracted by the last government to perform the tests, receiving £110m a year for the work. Atos employees (a mixture of doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals such as physiotherapists), ask claimants a broad range of questions about their lives, building up a picture of their capacity to hold down a job. The questions are deliberately opaque, so that a question about a claimant's favourite television programme, for example, might be taken as evidence of their ability to sit down and concentrate for regular half-hour periods. At the end of the test, the computer compiles a report for the assessor to approve; this report is sent to the jobcentre where an adviser makes a final decision on benefit eligibility.The Paris-based IT firm Atos was contracted by the last government to perform the tests, receiving £110m a year for the work. Atos employees (a mixture of doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals such as physiotherapists), ask claimants a broad range of questions about their lives, building up a picture of their capacity to hold down a job. The questions are deliberately opaque, so that a question about a claimant's favourite television programme, for example, might be taken as evidence of their ability to sit down and concentrate for regular half-hour periods. At the end of the test, the computer compiles a report for the assessor to approve; this report is sent to the jobcentre where an adviser makes a final decision on benefit eligibility.
Two years ago the Commons work and pensions committee said the company's name triggered a sense of "fear and loathing" among benefits claimants. Labour's Kate Green said the delivery of the policy had been "absolutely disastrous". The company's headquarters in London have often been the focus of noisy protests by disability campaigners. There were more protests last summer when Atos was unveiled as a key sponsor of the 2012 Paralympics. This year in an emotional debate in the Commons, several MPs gave details of constituents who had died shortly after being ruled fit for work by the firm.Two years ago the Commons work and pensions committee said the company's name triggered a sense of "fear and loathing" among benefits claimants. Labour's Kate Green said the delivery of the policy had been "absolutely disastrous". The company's headquarters in London have often been the focus of noisy protests by disability campaigners. There were more protests last summer when Atos was unveiled as a key sponsor of the 2012 Paralympics. This year in an emotional debate in the Commons, several MPs gave details of constituents who had died shortly after being ruled fit for work by the firm.
Monday's statement from the employment minister Mark Hoban is pointed in its criticism of the company, stating that new providers will be brought in to carry out assessments, and that the minister has "directed Atos Healthcare to put in place a quality improvement plan following a DWP audit which identified an unacceptable reduction in the quality of written reports produced following assessments".Monday's statement from the employment minister Mark Hoban is pointed in its criticism of the company, stating that new providers will be brought in to carry out assessments, and that the minister has "directed Atos Healthcare to put in place a quality improvement plan following a DWP audit which identified an unacceptable reduction in the quality of written reports produced following assessments".
It added: "Measures include retraining and re-evaluating all Atos healthcare professionals, which those not meeting the required standard continuing to have all of their work audited until they do, or have their approval to carry out assessments withdrawn by the department."It added: "Measures include retraining and re-evaluating all Atos healthcare professionals, which those not meeting the required standard continuing to have all of their work audited until they do, or have their approval to carry out assessments withdrawn by the department."
But some campaigners say the real cause of most problems associated with the WCA is not the company that carries out the tests but the underlying policy it is paid to implement. By focusing anger on Atos, attention is distracted from the government's drive to reduce the numbers of people claiming sickness benefits, under which the eligibility criteria have been narrowed so that many severely ill and disabled people no longer qualify. Changing the company providing the test may not change the experience of many claimants, as the new providers will be obliged to test people according to the same criteria.But some campaigners say the real cause of most problems associated with the WCA is not the company that carries out the tests but the underlying policy it is paid to implement. By focusing anger on Atos, attention is distracted from the government's drive to reduce the numbers of people claiming sickness benefits, under which the eligibility criteria have been narrowed so that many severely ill and disabled people no longer qualify. Changing the company providing the test may not change the experience of many claimants, as the new providers will be obliged to test people according to the same criteria.
Caroline Hacker, head of policy at Parkinson's UK, said : "This report confirms what many disabled people already know, that Atos Healthcare has been failing thousands of people across the UK for the last five years. Put simply, this admission of failure is far too little too late.Caroline Hacker, head of policy at Parkinson's UK, said : "This report confirms what many disabled people already know, that Atos Healthcare has been failing thousands of people across the UK for the last five years. Put simply, this admission of failure is far too little too late.
"Not all blame for the ongoing failures of these tests can be levelled solely at Atos Healthcare, who operate within the government's utterly inadequate method of assessing our most vulnerable citizens. All too often we hear from people with Parkinson's – a progressive condition – who are told that they will be fit to work in a year's time because they've failed to score enough points under the government designed system.""Not all blame for the ongoing failures of these tests can be levelled solely at Atos Healthcare, who operate within the government's utterly inadequate method of assessing our most vulnerable citizens. All too often we hear from people with Parkinson's – a progressive condition – who are told that they will be fit to work in a year's time because they've failed to score enough points under the government designed system."
Atos said the company had already responded to the results of the audit. "We quickly put in place a plan to improve the quality of written reports produced following an assessment. The professional and compassionate service we provide to claimants and the wellbeing of our people remain our primary consideration."Atos said the company had already responded to the results of the audit. "We quickly put in place a plan to improve the quality of written reports produced following an assessment. The professional and compassionate service we provide to claimants and the wellbeing of our people remain our primary consideration."
But there remains a catalogue of past criticism. Peter, a computer analyst who was forced to give up his job when he could no longer see the screen well enough to work, was awarded nine points in the Atos test and ruled not eligible for the benefit. His case was overturned on appeal. "They have changed the system to catch out more people. I think they try their damnedest to avoid paying," Peter, (who asked for his full name not to be printed), told the Guardian last year. "They knew my condition was permanent and degenerative, so if it's true in 2009 that it's permanent and degenerative, then it has to be true in 2011."But there remains a catalogue of past criticism. Peter, a computer analyst who was forced to give up his job when he could no longer see the screen well enough to work, was awarded nine points in the Atos test and ruled not eligible for the benefit. His case was overturned on appeal. "They have changed the system to catch out more people. I think they try their damnedest to avoid paying," Peter, (who asked for his full name not to be printed), told the Guardian last year. "They knew my condition was permanent and degenerative, so if it's true in 2009 that it's permanent and degenerative, then it has to be true in 2011."
Tony Elliott, 60, a former diamond driller for the construction industry who has severe back problems as a result of his work, was awarded zero points in an Atos assessment. The decision was later overruled by a tribunal. "The [WCA] medical was an absolute joke," he said in 2011. "The person doing the assessment had a computer in front of him with the questions on it. He never bothered to look at me when he was asking the questions, not one time. He was just going through on his computer with his mouse, knocking off the questions. I was thinking, 'I'm a human being, me'."Tony Elliott, 60, a former diamond driller for the construction industry who has severe back problems as a result of his work, was awarded zero points in an Atos assessment. The decision was later overruled by a tribunal. "The [WCA] medical was an absolute joke," he said in 2011. "The person doing the assessment had a computer in front of him with the questions on it. He never bothered to look at me when he was asking the questions, not one time. He was just going through on his computer with his mouse, knocking off the questions. I was thinking, 'I'm a human being, me'."
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