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Forum Home  →  Discussion  →  Work capability issues and ESA  →  Thread

WCA and questions about suicidal ideation

Sarah-B
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Caseworker - Laura Pidcock MP

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Total Posts: 71

Joined: 4 July 2018

Following the Work and Pensions Committee evidence session in December 2017 where DWP Minister Sarah Newton agreed with MPs that it was not right that claimants be asked directly why they haven’t carried out their suicidal ideas, the Minister has recently answered a Written Question by stating that further training on sensitive questioning has been provided to all assessors in May 2018.  She has not said whether this particular question has been removed.

https://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-question/Commons/2018-11-09/189810/

Mr Finch
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Benefits adviser - Isle of Wight CAB

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Total Posts: 509

Joined: 4 March 2011

Having had a lot more contact with the healthcare side of health professionals in the last year, I have really only now noticed just how much of the WCA (et al) question set is repurposed from the tools used to assess what level of medical intervention someone needs. While this doesn’t sound so bad put like that, it’s very much a problem and seems to me to explain why people who obviously meet clearly worded descriptors are nevertheless not awarded them by handwaving, because they don’t need to be admitted to hospital right then and there.