5th Independent Review of the WCA

The DWP has appointed Dr Paul Litchfield to carry out the fifth independent review of the work capability assessment (WCA).

Announcing the appointment today, the DWP sets out the following terms of reference for the review which is to be published before the end of 2014 -
• to provide the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with an independent report evaluating the operation of the assessments of limited capability for work and limited capability for work-related activity;
• to evaluate the effectiveness of the limited capability for work assessment in correctly identifying those claimants who are currently unfit for work as a result of disease or disability;
• to evaluate the effectiveness of the limited capability for work-related activity assessment in correctly identifying those claimants whose disability is such that they are currently unfit to undertake any form of work-related activity;
• to evaluate perceptions of objectivity surrounding the assessments;
• to take forward any outstanding areas of work identified in the years one to four reports during year five;
• to monitor and report on the implementation of the recommendations in the years one to four reports that are adopted by Ministers; and
• to provide independent advice to Ministers and the Department on any specific issues or concerns with the WCA that arise during the term of appointment, on which the Government may seek his independent view.

Or in short - to explain why nothing much has changed in practice following the 1st - 4th reports to the soundtrack of: The Song of the Whitewash by Bertolt Brecht.

here’s a link to year 5 review page, including terms of reference -

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/work-capability-assessment-independent-review-year-5

In my personal view, ESA is like the Sinclair C5 of the social security world - apologies to IDS for using the term ‘social security’. I’ll wash my mouth out later.

At some point the WCA and the rest of the ESA car crash has to go; it’s just a case of when. Whoever wins the next election will have the opportunity, but will they bottle it?

Billions have gone down the drain (I include the ironically named Work Programme in that figure) based on the pretence that large numbers of people with substantial health conditions can work or ‘move towards work’. The media has also been encouraged to run smear stories about those who rely on benefits to deflect attention from deluded policies. The politicians continue to remain blind to the lessons that their forebears learnt or perhaps they are conned by the Republic of the DWP who play up the fraud card to prop up their power base.

Supporting people with health problems remain in or return to work requires a multi-stranded and joined up approach. It has taken over five years, since the introduction of ESA, for the government to set up the Health & Work Service, which will provide occupational health advice to employers. Retention support is still patchy and you would need to know about Work Choice - which has to be signed off by a JCP disability employment advisor (if you can get an appointment before losing your job).

The DWP needs breaking up. The duty and decision making for supporting people into work should be the responsibility of a new department, with resources drawn from a number of departments, including DWP, Education and Health. The DWP should be reduced to a payments agency only - it has too much negative baggage to take on the job. 

So I won’t be getting excited about the new review and the only expert I would ask to look at the WCA (and ESA) would be Prof. John Seddon, but somehow I don’t think the government would find his report palatable.