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New Fit For Work service guidance published
Just come across this new guidance from DWP on their Fit For Work service which is apparently:
Fit for Work is free and helps employees stay in or return to work.
GPs and employers can refer individuals to Fit for Work. There are 2 elements:
- an advice service providing health and work advice through a website and a telephone line
- an assessment service providing an occupational health assessment and a return to work plan for employees who have been off sick from work, or are likely to be off sick from work, for 4 weeks or more
There will be a phased roll out of the referral service taking place over a period of months – we will announce details in early 2015.
Other than a couple of cursory nods towards Access to Work, there’s nothing at all in relation to checking related benefit/tax credit entitlements in such situations.
However, it does state at page 20 in relation to a person who has accessed the service and who has been given a Return to Work plan (my emphasis):
Return to Work Plans can be accepted in place of a fit note for benefit purposes. The length of time the Return to Work Plan will cover will be stated on the Return to Work Plan. Where a patient is not fit for work within the estimated timescales their case manager from Fit for Work will consider whether a further assessment is required. They will also consider whether the Return to Work Plan needs to be revised and cover a longer period of absence. Where a patient is discharged from Fit for Work they may request a fit note. In this case GPs should consider whether a fit note is appropriate in line with fit note guidance.
Disability activist Bendy Girl has highlighted that the company who are commissioned to provide Fit For Work service in England, Health Management Limited, are in fact actually part of Maximus who, as we all know, are also taking over the assessment of work capability assessments in February.
See MAXIMUS Acquires UK-Based Company Health Management Limited
Good work if you can get it…..
[ Edited: 6 Jan 2015 at 12:12 pm by Paul_Treloar_CPAG ]