Scope responds to PAC report into health and disability assessments
Mark Atkinson, chief executive at disability charity Scope, responds to Public Accounts Committee report into health and disability assessments.
Ongoing issues with health and disability assessments have caused unnecessary anxiety for disabled people .
These assessments are the first step for disabled people to get the right support and benefits, so it’s crucial that they work effectively. However, many assessors lack the necessary expertise which leads to inaccurate decisions and high rates of successful appeals.
Too many disabled people are also waiting too long to find out if they qualify. Right now, the average decision time for Employment Support Allowance is nearly half a year.
The Government has plans to overhaul back to work support for disabled people. To do that properly, the assessment process has to get it right to begin with.
