Today we have a new supporter in the quest to improve the Work Capability Assessment. The Committee of Public Accounts has said that the test used to decide if someone is well enough to work is too inflexible, that it is making people’s health worse, and that it is having a huge impact on some of the most vulnerable people in society. We know that our members and supporters would agree.
Nearly 40 per cent of appeals are successful, which indicates how flawed and unfair the test is. As the committee’s Chair Margaret Hodge says, “The Work Capability Assessment process hits the most vulnerable claimants hardest. The one size fits all approach fails to account adequately for mental health conditions or those which are rare or fluctuating. While the Department has started to improve, the process is still too inflexible and too often is so stressful for applicants that their health simply gets worse.”
It’s no wonder then that the test continues to be a source of profound anxiety and distress to our members and supporters. Our advice service gets phone calls everyday from people undergoing the test, many of whom say that their mental health has gone downhill because of it.
Our own poll of GPs last year found that eight out of ten GPs say they have patients who have developed mental health problems as a result of undergoing, or fear of undergoing, the test. Even more alarmingly, more than one in five (21%) GPs have patients who have had suicidal thoughts as a result of undergoing the test.
The test is hitting people who are already struggling to cope. We are calling on the Government to stop using the test now. It could be the difference between life and death for some of the most vulnerable people in our society.
Do you agree? Join Rethink today and add your voice
Rethink
It’s no wonder then that the test continues to be a source of profound anxiety and distress to our members and supporters. Our advice service gets phone calls everyday from people undergoing the test, many of whom say that their mental health has gone downhill because of it.
Our own poll of GPs last year found that eight out of ten GPs say they have patients who have developed mental health problems as a result of undergoing, or fear of undergoing, the test. Even more alarmingly, more than one in five (21%) GPs have patients who have had suicidal thoughts as a result of undergoing the test.
The test is hitting people who are already struggling to cope. We are calling on the Government to stop using the test now. It could be the difference between life and death for some of the most vulnerable people in our society.
08 February 2013 | 09:00 AM
Jane Harris Do you agree? Join Rethink today and add your voice
Rethink