Statement on Work Capability Assessment Consultation
Response by
Today, DWP will publish its response to the consultation on
changes to the Work Capability Assessment to reflect the modern
world of work and greater employment opportunities for disabled
people and people with health conditions.
Through a new ‘Chance to Work Guarantee’, we will effectively
abolish the Work Capability Assessment for most existing
claimants who are not expected to look for, or prepare for, work.
This will remove the fear of re-assessments and give people the
confidence to try work, while providing continuity of service for
vulnerable claimants.
This brings forward a key part of our reforms announced earlier
this year in “Transforming Support: The Health and
Disability White Paper”, which sets out our future direction
to completely abolish the Work Capability Assessment and
introduce a new personalised, tailored approach to employment
support.
Ahead of these longer-term plans, we need to ensure the Work
Capability Assessment delivers the right outcomes, and reflects
changes in work since the WCA activities and descriptors were
last comprehensively reviewed in 2011.
Over this time, the labour market has changed significantly, as
evidenced by the increase in flexibility, and the availability of
hybrid and home working jobs. At the same time, the proportion of
people assessed to be entitled to the highest tier of
health-related benefits, without any requirement to look or
prepare for work, has risen from 21% in 2011 to 65% in 2022. And
yet we know that one in five people who are not expected to
engage in work preparation would like to work at some point in
the future if the right job and support were available.
To help inform our decisions on how we intend to take forward
changes to the Work Capability Assessment, we have carefully
considered all the consultation responses and feedback from our
public events and engagement. We received 1,348 written responses
from disabled people and people with health conditions, as well
as the organisations that represent and support them. We also
engaged directly with clinical experts, employer groups and
disability organisations across the country.
To reflect new flexibilities in the labour market and to ensure
more people are supported to move closer to work, from 2025, we
will:
- remove the ‘Mobilising’ activity used to assess ‘Limited
Capability for Work and Work-Related Activity’;
- reduce the points awarded for the ‘Getting About’ descriptor
used to assess ‘Limited Capability for Work’;
- ensure the criteria used to determine a substantial risk to
health of a claimant found capable of work-related activity is
used only in exceptional circumstances so it is in line with the
original policy intention.
We will continue to protect the most vulnerable and those who
have the most significant limitations. We have determined not to
make any changes to the Continence or Social Engagement
activities.
We will also change how we describe our health benefit groups in
future. We will no longer refer to people’s limitations and will
instead focus on what they can do. From 2025, the term ‘Work
Preparation’ will replace ‘Limited Capability for Work’, and
‘Health Group’ will replace ‘Limited Capability for Work and
Work-Related Activity’.
Alongside these measures, the Government’s recently announced
Back to Work Plan will help more disabled people and those with a
long-term illness to overcome barriers to work. This includes
(through our new WorkWell service) bringing together work and
health support locally and an expansion of Universal Support to
place more people in roles and provide ongoing wraparound help.
By making these changes, we will ensure fairness for both
claimants and taxpayers, step up the support on offer to the most
vulnerable claimants, and remove barriers to work.
