Page 44 - Reforming Benefits Decision-Making

• C – key requirements are not satisfied.

The audit target specified in the contract is 75 per cent of reports at grade A
103
and 96 per cent of reports to be grades A or B.

The PIP reports are graded as follows:

• A - acceptable
• AF – acceptable: HP learning required
• AA – acceptable: report amendment required
• U – unacceptable

The audit target for the PIP contracts is three per cent or less ‘unacceptable’
reports and a minimum of 85% of reports ‘acceptable’ or ‘acceptable: HP
learning required’.
104

2.46 Data submitted to the Work and Pensions Select committee showed that
neither PIP contractor nor Maximus had met its targets in any rolling three-
month period up to the end of 2017. More recent independent audit data show
that this remained the case from 2017 through to the end of 2019. 105 This is
despite the very low bar required to be met for reports to be considered
‘acceptable’. PIP reports will still be considered ‘acceptable’ where they
contain “clinically improbable advice such that the choice of descriptor is

103 In the WP Select Committee report the WCA target is stated as 70 per cent of reports at grade A and
95 per cent at either A or B grade. However, those targets increased in year 3 of the contract to 75 per
cent grade A and 96 per cent grade A and B. Since the contract available is the original contract which
commenced in 2015, year 3 would be 2018. We assume that the contract extensions continued the year
3 targets DWP and Maximus Health and Human Services, Health and Disability Assessment Services
Contract, Schedule 2.2 Performance Levels, Annex 1 – Service Levels and Service Credits, Table 2 –
Service Levels that attract Service Credits.
104 DWP, PIP Assessment Guide part 3: Health Professional Performance (17 May 2021) para 3.4.9.
105 DWP, 'Response to Freedom of Information Request FOI2020/16390' (21 September 2020).

35