Thousands hit by benefits backlog

Citizens Advice has warned that the Work Capability Assessments are failing and must be fixed to be delivered fairly. The DWP has today revealed that there is a backlog of 700,000 people waiting for assessment for Employment and Support Allowance (ESA).

Lynn Hannah Chief Executive at Haringey Citizens Advice Bureaux (CAB) says:

“In the last 3 months, Haringey CAB has dealt with 1100 residents with ESA issues, over a quarter of our benefit related enquiries. The failings of the Work Capability Assessments are leaving sick, disabled and older people on a knife-edge. It is now one of the biggest issues that Haringey CAB clients need help with. One of our clients, a 61 year old, has not received any Employment and Support Allowance since October 2013.

They have mental health issues and severe depression with housing problems. The system is in urgent need of fixing with millions more people set to apply for ESA in the next few years. There are deep-lying problems with the WCA. Long delays, medical assessments carried out with no medical evidence and the removal of ESA when people ask the Government to reconsider a decision are causing serious stress
for hundreds of thousands of people.

With Atos' contract ending, there is an opportunity to put in place safeguards to deal with the unacceptable flaws in fit for work tests. The new contractor must be fined when its assessments are shown to be flawed. Medical evidence should be made available free to claimants to support their application for support and the unacceptable backlog of applications must be dealt with. Unless changes are made to how assessments are carried out, then sick and disabled people face another three years of delays, anxiety and unfair treatment."

Citizens Advice is campaigning to make ESA fit for work. Here's some things you can do to support the campaign.

Haringey Citizen's Advice have two bureaux and also operate debt and benefit drop-ins at Health Centres and (if you have a child under 5) Children's Centres. For details of opening times please click here