Scope responds to Work Capability Assessment figures

Richard Hawkes, chief executive of the disability charity Scope, said:

“Today’s figures show that nothing has changed. The test is still broken. The Government still needs to act.

“Continued high rates of successful appeals will do little to reassure disabled people.

“Over the last year we have seen criticism from the Public Accounts Committee and National Audit Office, shocking undercover footage of ATOS assessors and horror stories of people inappropriately found fit to work.

"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 the barriers disabled people face when it comes to finding a job.

"If the Government is committed to getting disabled people into work, and not just off benefits, it is going to have to face up to these problems, and build a test that assesses the barriers disabled people face when they look for work rather than medical capability.

“At the same time, the Government needs to do more to help employers better understand how to employ disabled people and ensure disabled people’s basic support needs are met, such as getting up, getting dressed and getting out.”