Not designed to be user friendly
The Department of Work and Pensions are submitting increasing numbers of people to medical examination. The purpose is to establish a person's capability to work. Whilst this is laudable, the other agenda of getting as many people as possible off sickness and disability related benefits is not. Should we be concerned?
Action for Blind People actively helps people with sight loss to return to work and to remain in work. Many of our service users desperately seek a return to work. In the meantime they often have to rely on benefits for financial support. Those in receipt of Incapacity Benefit or Employment and Support Allowance can face a drastic cut in income if their benefit is removed. Others may find themselves forced to actively seek work long before they are mentally and physically ready.
The first stage of the medical assessment process is to send a questionnaire. The 'Personal Capability Assessment' form applies to Incapacity Benefit or Income Support due to sickness/disability, whilst the 'Work Capability Assessment' is for Employment and Support Allowance. These forms should carry a government health warning - 'Not designed to be user friendly'.
You must score a total of 15 points on the assessment to remain entitled to benefit. The questions however do not tell you how many points you will score. Some of the questions carry no points. Some points have no questions to prompt an answer - if you happen to mention a particular difficulty you will get the points, but if you don’t you won’t.
Sometimes the forms are sent in error, as certain conditions can give exemption from the assessment. For example, you should be exempted from the Personal Capability Assessment (but not the Work Capability Assessment) if you are registered blind. If you are not exempt then you will be required to complete the questionnaire.
I would always advise immediate professional help. If you have an Action for Blind People team in your area they can usually assist. Otherwise help can be obtained from local welfare rights organisations or Citizen's Advice.
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Kevin works as a welfare rights officer at Action for Blind People in Lancashire.
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Comments
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how do they expect blind people to write my husband cannot and he is blind through diabetes recently the dwp sent me a form asking for my husbands signature dispite i told them he cannot see to write, what idiots, my husband is blind through diabetes, has lost extensive visual fileds with hemponia.
Posted by elizabeth lamb , 26 January 2011 (1 year ago)
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Hi Elizabeth, are you aware that you can be made appointee to take care of all your husbands benefit queries, so DWP will not ask him these things. If you contact your local office, arrangements can be put in place ASAP
Posted by Libby , 4 March 2011 (1 year ago)
