Employment and Support Allowance

(asked on 19th April 2021) - View Source

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many claimants of (a) new style and (b) contribution-based employment and support allowance are in the assessment phase as at 19 April 2021; and how and many what proportion of those claimants are awaiting a face-to-face assessment.


Answered by
Justin Tomlinson Portrait
Justin Tomlinson
This question was answered on 22nd April 2021

The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

The available statistics for ESA WCA by month of claim start (to June 2020) for initial assessment outcomes, including those still in progress, and assessment outcome by month of decision to September 2020, are published here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/esa-outcomes-of-work-capability-assessments-including-mandatory-reconsiderations-and-appeals-march-2021

We recognise that Work Capability Assessments (WCAs) have unfortunately not been completed for some contributory Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) claimants as quickly as we would have liked due to the pressures presented by the pandemic.

The Honourable gentleman might be aware that face-to-face assessments for WCAs will resume from May across England and Scotland, and will do so in Wales from the point on their roadmap when socialising indoors is allowed. This will initially be for those who we have been unable to fully assess by other channels.

Throughout the pandemic we have continued to assess people on paper evidence as usual, using this route whenever possible. We also introduced telephone assessments in June 2020 in a phased approach, with limited outcomes in the first instance, that allowed us to build capability and improve processes. Since the beginning of February all outcomes have been available in telephone assessments, and we are now in the process of completing second telephone assessments for people who previously had a telephone assessment but no outcome. The combination of these assessment channels will enable us to ensure that claimants receive their correct benefit entitlement as quickly as possible.

If, following their assessment and the subsequent decision, an ESA claimant is entitled to a higher rate of benefit, payments are backdated where appropriate so that they do not lose out. Where an individual’s contributory ESA ends, if they require further financial support, they may be able to claim Universal Credit, depending on their personal circumstances.

Reticulating Splines