People on incapacity benefits are having to fill in a 20-page form then take a controversial assessment similar to the tests that have been used to take benefits from thousands of claimants in the UK.
People on incapacity benefits are having to fill in a 20-page form then take a controversial assessment similar to the tests that have been used to take benefits from thousands of claimants in the UK.
Manx Labour Party chairman David Cretney said not only was the form a tick-box exercise but it was so daunting for some claimants they could not complete it without help.
‘Grave concerns have been expressed about this at our meeting,’ he said
He told the Manx Independent he sat in on one interview, which both he and the interviewee agreed was carried out professionally and fairly.
But he added he was concerned some genuine claimants were being assessed as fit for work who patently were not capable, which was causing geniune anguish for some.
‘Many of these people do want to work but are simply unable to do so. I met one person who has been involved with the assessment process who was assessed as being fit but the reality is he could not possibly go to work because he struggles to perform basic personal tasks.
‘My advice to anyone is that they should definitely pursue it to the next stage and go through the appeals procedure and take a representative with them when they do so.’
The UK company Dependability Ltd was appointed by Treasury on a three-year contract in 2014 to carry out capability for work assessments on the island’s 2,000 long-term Incapacity Benefit claimants. The assessments are carried out by a ‘qualified medical practitioner’, usually after a person has been claiming for at least 28 weeks.
Dependability’s remit is to complete assessments on all long-term claimants during a three-year period.
Prior to the assessment claimants are asked to complete the 20-page form which provides information to the interviewer, along with information from the claimant’s GP. In some cases a claimant will be assessed as unfit for work with no need for a face-to-face interview.
A government statement said the initiative was ‘to improve the future prospects, health and well-being’ of claimants.
Treasury Minister Eddie Teare said: ‘This is not just about making cost savings. It is a genuine attempt to help people escape the benefits trap and realise their full potential.’ A six-month pilot scheme of 202 people was conducted by a different agency, Atos Healthcare, in 2012-13.
On that occasion, around one third of people voluntarily stopped claiming or transferred to Jobseekers’ Allowance before their assessment, one third was deemed unfit and continued to receive incapacity benefit and one third was found capable of some type of work.
Source: IOM Today
