Work Capability Assessment

The outcome of the assessment also determines whether claimants are entitled to "new style" Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) and potentially additional elements of Universal Credit (UC).

The process is ultimately a legal one that uses social security legislation as its main reference point (which is why appeals are made to tribunals overseen by the Ministry of Justice).

From July 2022 nurses, occupational therapists, pharmacists, and physiotherapists as well as doctors can legally certify fit notes across England, Scotland and Wales.

A large amount of lifestyle data and some clinical information is obtained from the claimant and is entered into the computer by the assessor, mostly by selecting pre-determined 'one click' options from an on-screen menu.

The healthcare professional also draws on their medical knowledge gained from working in a clinical environment earlier in their career to: The strength of a claim is largely determined by comparing the claimant's problem with a framework of set criteria, known as 'descriptors',[4] which are divided into 'functional' and 'non-functional' descriptors.

The healthcare professional's main role is to select the most appropriate descriptor for each activity printed on the ESA claim form that the claimant has marked as being difficult for them in their day-to-day life.

To do this, assessors draw on their training in the field of 'functional assessment' – a subspecialty concerned with gauging the practical impact of an impairment on a person's daily life and, in the context of the WCA, on their ability to work.

The claimant's mental state will to a large degree become apparent as the interview progresses, but specific questions might be asked in order to elucidate any disordered thinking, abnormalities of perception or cognitive impairment.

To facilitate these last two objectives testing capacity was increased fivefold by employing nurses and physiotherapists to work alongside doctors, and a semi-structured interview technique based on a computer-generated template was used for the first time.

[12] Initially, only fresh claims for ESA were assessed, but the sickness benefit caseload increased – partly a consequence of the banking crisis and its effect on the economy and on jobs.