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(UK) DWP considering treatment of long-term chronic conditions.

RogerBlack

Senior Member
Messages
902
https://www.rightsnet.org.uk/forums/viewthread/11593/
Of treatment of claimants of long-term conditions with ESA. (supposed to be more sensible treatment with fewer reassessments.
It would obviously be valueable to have ME/CFS for those affected long-term in this group, with the stats of recovery being so bad.

I do not know who the stakeholders are, or what group is developing this list inside the DWP, clearly the deadline must be soon. (I also don't know if there have been efforts made already by the community)

Nothing definite, but here’s a recent reference in a written answer where Penny Mordaunt said -

This change will come into effect in autumn 2017 and will apply to those placed in Employment and Support Allowance’s Support Group and the Universal Credit equivalent. We are currently working with stakeholders to develop the new criteria and, when finalised, the amended guidance will be incorporated into the Work Capability Assessment Handbook published annually on GOV.UK. This change will be reflected in the summer 2018 update.

http://www.parliament.uk/business/p... nts/written-question/Commons/2017-07-06/3587


Library of commons briefing on this. http://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/CBP-7820/CBP-7820.pdf
 
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MEMum

Senior Member
Messages
440
Per the above Library of Commons briefing

"The change would only apply to claimants placed in the ESA Support Group and the equivalent group in Universal Credit.2

Exemption from reassessment would not be based on medical condition. The Government stated: Rather than a list of specific medical conditions, the criteria will be based on identifying claimants with the most severe health conditions or disabilities where it would be unreasonable to expect the individual to undertake any form or amount of work or work-related activity."

The identification of claimants with the "most severe health conditions or disabilities...", would be done by assessors.
 

Wonko

Senior Member
Messages
1,467
Location
The other side.
...and surely everyone in the support group already meets the requirement of being those "with the most severe health conditions or disabilities where it would be unreasonable to expect the individual to undertake any form or amount of work or work-related activity." - as this is the purpose of the support group (and ministers have repeatedly lied and claimed that people in the support group are not subject to constant reassessments).

But yes...it will be done by assessors, and assessors are trained to..........so I look forward to congratulating the 4 people who meet the criteria between 2018 and 2030
 

RogerBlack

Senior Member
Messages
902
...and surely everyone in the support group already meets the requirement of being those "with the most severe health conditions or disabilities where it would be unreasonable to expect the individual to undertake any form or amount of work or work-related activity." - as this is the purpose of the support group.

This is not the legal test.

The legal test for entry into the support group is meeting any of the specific support group descriptors, or if 'work related activity' would put you at risk.

These one paragraph caricatures of the law have been all too commonly used, and few read through to the actual regulations.

It is this one paragraph caricature "Those in the work related activity group are the less severe, and those expected to recover within the short term" has been used to remove extra payment for this group. Even incoming secretaries of state for work and pensions do not understand that long-term conditions and other factors exist in this group.

On to the topic of the original post.

I note that the "rather than a list of specific medical conditions" was a statement made in Oct 2016, and the more recent February statement copied above implies a different approach.
 
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