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Disability benefit tests have doubled in cost, says NAO
Disability benefit tests have doubled in cost, says NAO
This is a duplicate of the Blog Entry made on: 9th January 2016 09:37
This is a duplicate of the Blog Entry made on: 9th January 2016 09:37
Disability benefit assessments have doubled in cost to £579m a year but targets are still being missed, the National Audit Office has said.
The spending watchdog found the quality of the tests was also not improving despite more being done face-to-face. Labour MP Meg Hillier, who chairs the public accounts committee, said the cost was "staggering" and sick and disabled people needed "a better deal".
The Department for Work and Pensions said the quality of tests had improved. Health assessments for Employment and Support Allowance are carried out to assess people's capability for work. They were brought in to reduce the number of claimants but the department has constantly struggled with delays and controversy with disability campaigners claiming they have led to rising suicide
and depression rates.
Problems 'exacerbated'
Private provider Atos quit its contract in 2014 and was replaced last year by US firm Maximus. The new contract requires an increased number of face-to-face assessments - with more staff needed to carry them out. But the NAO said "recent performance shows the department [DWP] has not tackled - and may even have exacerbated" problems over waiting times and targets, and expected savings to the welfare budget had been reduced from £1.1bn over the next three years to £400m.....Read more here
The spending watchdog found the quality of the tests was also not improving despite more being done face-to-face. Labour MP Meg Hillier, who chairs the public accounts committee, said the cost was "staggering" and sick and disabled people needed "a better deal".
The Department for Work and Pensions said the quality of tests had improved. Health assessments for Employment and Support Allowance are carried out to assess people's capability for work. They were brought in to reduce the number of claimants but the department has constantly struggled with delays and controversy with disability campaigners claiming they have led to rising suicide
and depression rates.
Problems 'exacerbated'
Private provider Atos quit its contract in 2014 and was replaced last year by US firm Maximus. The new contract requires an increased number of face-to-face assessments - with more staff needed to carry them out. But the NAO said "recent performance shows the department [DWP] has not tackled - and may even have exacerbated" problems over waiting times and targets, and expected savings to the welfare budget had been reduced from £1.1bn over the next three years to £400m.....Read more here