To receive ESA, the new incapacity
benefit, the vast majority of claimants have to pass a working
capability assessment (WCA) – a short medical test carried out by
government contractor Atos Healthcare. The WCA is so consistently
failing to recognise those who are in dire need of support that it is
hard to understand why society is not in uproar. The cost to the
government alone is staggering. Appeals against incorrect WCA decisions
are costing £50m a year, with tribunals having to sit on Saturdays and
increase staff by 30% to deal with the backlog. Appeals find in favour
of the claimant in at least 30% of cases, according to the government’s
own statistics – although Neil Bateman, a welfare adviser featured on
Panorama, believes this rises to a staggering 80-90% if the appellant
seeks the help of an experienced adviser.
With such high costs to the taxpayer to
manage the assessment and appeal process plus the health implications to
those British citizens left abandoned by the government when they are
most in need of help, the coalition must find a commonsense approach to
the ESA.
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