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20 December, 2021 Open access

DWP issues guidance on temporary easement of requirements to provide medical evidence for sickness absences for SSP, universal credit and ESA purposes

New Welfare Direct bulletin also includes advice that claimants will not be required to provide retrospective medical evidence for any period the easement covers

The DWP has issued guidance on temporary easements of requirements to supply medical evidence for sickness absences for statutory sick pay (SSP), universal credit and employment and support allowance (ESA) purposes.

Further to the government’s request to all departments to help release capacity in General Practice in order to support the Omicron Emergency Boost vaccination effort, the DWP has put in place two temporary changes -

In LA Welfare Direct lite 12/2021, the Department sets out the effect of these changes in a series of questions and answers on each of the benefits affected.

For universal credit and ESA, the DWP's advice includes that -

In relation to SSP, the guidance includes that -

NB - while people claiming under special rules for the terminally ill are not required to provide fit notes, and so are not impacted directly by the temporary easements, the DWP advises that if it is not possible to supply a DS1500 in support of a claim, it will continue to consider alternative evidence and work flexibly and quickly with the claimant and or, their health care professional(s) to make a speedy determination.

LA Welfare Direct lite 12/2021 is available from gov.uk