Work and Pensions written question – answered at on 5 July 2013.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people with (a) rheumatoid arthritis, (b) cystic fibrosis and (c) multiple sclerosis have undergone multiple work capability assessments since its introduction.
The Department regularly publishes official statistics on employment and support allowance (ESA) and the work capability assessment (WCA). The latest publication was released in April 2013 and can be found here:
Table 6 in the spreadsheet accompanying the publication breaks down how claimants are allocated to the Work Related Activity Group (WRAG). This shows that 54% of claimants entering the WRAG after the initial WCA on their claim, did so based on the points awarded at the WCA. The remainder entered the WRAG for reasons other than points awarded at the WCA, these reasons are explained in the publication.
In response to the first question above, table 1 provides information on the number of claimants who were awarded the WRAG based on points scored at the initial WCA and who were subsequently awarded fewer points at the second WCA on the same claim. Claimants who were awarded the WRAG at the second WCA based on a reason other than points scored have been excluded.
Table 1: Number of claimants in the WRAG at the initial WCA who were awarded the WRAG at the second WCA but received points. All new ESA claims starting between October 2008 and August 2012 | |
Health condition | Claimants awarded fewer points at second WCA |
Cystic Fibrosis | — |
Multiple Sclerosis | 60 |
Rheumatoid arthritis | 90 |
‘—' Denotes nil or negligible |
Table 2 provides the requested data for the remaining questions above.
Table 2: Comparison of outcomes of the initial and second WCA on the same claim. All new ESA claims starting between October 2008 and August 2012 | |||
Health condition | Claimants in WRAG after initial WCA who were then found Fit for Work at second WCA on the same claim | Claimants in Support Group after initial WCA who then entered the WRAG at second WCA on the same claim | Claimants having two or more WCAs on the same claim |
Cystic Fibrosis | 10 | 10 | 220 |
Multiple Sclerosis | 100 | 100 | 3,560 |
Rheumatoid arthritis | 270 | 90 | 2,820 |
Source: The data presented above come from benefit claims data held by the Department for Work and Pensions, functional assessment data from Atos Healthcare. |
All figures relate to claims starting between October 2008 and August 2012, who have completed at least two WCAs on the same claim. All figures have been rounded to the nearest 10.
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