The work capability assessment does not judge what you can do
‘I feel like I am being punished for having a long-term condition’
– ESA Focus Group Attendee
‘You shouldn’t have to compromise yourdignity to get what you’re entitled to’
– CAPS Individual Advocacy Worker
Recently we reported that Citizens Advice Scotland (CAS) report that Incapacity Benefit reforms would impoverish vast numbers of households.
A recent report, Fluctuating Outcomes, by the independent Consultation & Advocacy Promotion Service (CAPS), concluded that the WCA was not designed to accurately assess the needs of mentally ill people.
CAPS found that people felt that there were a number of problems with the application of the Employment Support Allowance criteria to people who have mental health conditions.
These included:
- A lack of flexibility, especially around fluctuating conditions,
- A lack of knowledge about mental health
- A stressful and unsupportive assessment process,
- The negative impact the process had on them and their health,
Some of the other problems with the WCA is that it is a highly computerised system which doesn’t
- Discuss what is actually wrong with someone,
- It doesn’t assess actual problems in working or your actual working skills and therefore it doesn’t judge what you CAN do.
- non-work-related things are assessed
- claimants with long-term, or fluctuating, conditions cannot be adequately assessed in a few hours
CAPS is an independent advocacy organisation for people who use, or have used mental health services
