Work Capability Assessments Claimant Health 2020-01-27

2020-01-27

TAGS
Response quality

Questions & Answers

Q1 Direct Answer
Context
A constituent, Jodey Whiting, took her own life in 2017 following issues with a work capability assessment.
Last week, a psychiatrist stated that Jodey's mental state was likely to have been 'substantially affected' by the DWP's decision. Another death, Errol Graham's, occurred under similar circumstances. The questioner requests an urgent independent inquiry into these deaths.
We recognise that attending a work capability assessment can be stressful; therefore, measures are in place to address this. We commissioned five independent reviews implementing more than 100 recommendations, including training frontline staff with the Royal College of Psychiatrists to identify people at risk.
Assessment & feedback
Response accuracy