Starting next month, the process for Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and Work Capability Assessments (WCA) will change for people in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
However, this update does not apply to those in Scotland. Scottish residents receiving PIP will transition to Adult Disability Payment (ADP) by the end of next year.
Upcoming Changes to PIP Assessments Starting in September
Based on the Benefits and Work forum, Maximus manages WCAs, whereas Atos and Capita administer PIP assessments, with Atos holding the majority of the PIP contracts. In the previous year, during the contract bidding for regional evaluations, the DWP stated that the contracts would last from 2024 to 2029.
Functional Assessment Services contracts are going to substitute both PIP and WCA contracts for Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) as well as Universal Credit. This will result in the same organisation conducting both sorts of assessments in any particular region.
As part of the Health Transformation programme, which aims to standardize the assessment process for all benefits that require a functional health assessment, changes are being made to how PIP and Work Capability Assessments (WCAs) are handled.
Starting in September, the company conducting assessments in each region will be as follows:
- Scotland and North England: Maximus UK Services Limited (currently Atos)
- Midlands and Wales: Capita Business Services (currently Capita)
- South West England: Serco (currently Atos)
- South East England, London, and East Anglia: Ingeus UK Limited (currently Atos)
- Northern Ireland: Capita Business Services (currently Capita)
Limited Recording of PIP Assessments Raises Data Concerns
In the past year, the DWP unveiled its plans to transition to a new telephonic platform by 2024 and improve the Video Assessment application, which will allow for the recording of all disability health benefit assessments. However, no action has been taken to implement the recommendation.
If you have a PIP assessment expected in the coming months, you can request that it be audio recorded, but you must notify the DWP prior to the assessment date. According to a new Freedom of Information (FOI) request, Capita audio-recorded about 1,192 (1.4%) of PIP evaluations between the beginning of the year and the end of June. Similarly, the DWP revealed that IAS audio-recorded 366 (0.17%) of PIP evaluations during the same time period.
However, the DWP stressed that the data presented is based on management information generated by the assessment providers. It further stated: “This information is collected for internal use only and therefore has not been quality assured to Official Statistics Publication standards.”