Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 2 July 2018 to Question 158272 on Work Capability Assessments, for what reason informal observations are included in Work Capability Assessment decisions.

As paragraph 2.7.2 of the WCA handbook makes clear informal observations of the claimant form an important part of the assessment. By evaluating the clinical history, the physical examination and informal observations in the light of the claimant's daily activities, the medical disability analyst is able to provide an accurate and consistent assessment of the functional restrictions.

The personalised summary statement is a statement of facts and findings made by the Healthcare professional (HCP) and is personal to the claimant.

It gives the HCP the opportunity to justify their recommendation on the Limited Capability for Work and Limited Capability for Work-Related Activity activities and descriptors and explain where the recommendation conflicts with the claimant’s view of their condition.