Government criticism of Work Capability Assessment

Atos Healthcare has been ordered to improve following an audit by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) which found an "unacceptable reduction" in the quality of its written reports. In response Richard Hawkes, chief executive of the disability charity Scope, said:

“It’s about time the Government told Atos to smarten up its act.

“But, it’s also strikingly clear to disabled people that whole £112 million per year system is broken.

“The cost of appeals has skyrocketed, assessors have resigned in disgust, and the test has received criticism from the Public Accounts Committee and National Audit Office. We have also witnessed shocking undercover footage of how ATOS assessors are trained and heard horror stories of disabled people inappropriately found fit to work.

“The Government needs to deliver a test that is fit for purpose.

"Most disabled people want to work but they face significant barriers, such as a lack of skills and experience, confidence and even negative attitudes from some employers. The Work Capability Assessment (WCA) ignores all this. It’s a tick-box test of someone’s medical condition.

“If the Government is serious about getting more disabled people into work they need a test that is the start of the process that gives disabled people the specialist, tailored and flexible support they need.”