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<p>The department’s key priorities are the health and safety of our claimants and
our staff and that claimants receive the support they are entitled to as soon as possible.
As a result, all face to face assessments for health and disability benefits have
remained suspended since March 2020. During the pandemic we have continued to assess
claimants based on paper evidence where we can, using this route as often as we are
able to. We have introduced telephone assessments and are working hard to increase
the number of these assessments so that we can make the right decision for as many
claimants as possible, while keeping them safe. We are currently in the early stages
of testing Work Capability Assessment (WCA) video assessments.</p><p> </p><p>Telephone
assessments will not be appropriate for all claimants. We are aware that some claimants,
particularly those with certain health conditions or disabilities, will have difficulty
being assessed over the telephone. We are currently developing ways in which we can
safely assess these claimants. For both Employment Support Allowance (ESA) and Universal
Credit (UC), claimants will remain on their current award until we gather the evidence
needed to make a recommendation or are able to conduct a face to face assessment,
(or until their benefit is due to end in contributory ESA). Any additional amounts
the claimant may qualify for after their assessment will be backdated to ensure no
long-term loss.</p><p> </p><p>The suspension of face to face assessments is regularly
reviewed in line with the latest public health guidance and will recommence as soon
as it is safe to do so. The department remains committed to increasing the number
of claimants able to participate in a non-face to face assessment by moving towards
a wider range of channels. We are closely monitoring all new assessment processes
and are working with our supplier to ensure claimants are assessed as quickly as possible.</p>
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