Page 136 - JUSTICE and AJC Report - Reforming Benefits Decision-Making

Outsourcing of assessments

11. Health and disability assessments should no longer be outsourced to private
companies and should be conducted by HCPs employed directly by the DWP
together with clear channels of accountability and grievance procedures (para
2.51).

Sanctions

Claimant commitment and easements

12. The DWP should improve data collection and evaluation. It should collect
data on:

a) Protected characteristics of all claimants, in particular UC claimants, and
claimants who are sanctioned. The data on disability should be further
disaggregated by impairment type. The DWP should explore ways to
collect this data, including by learning from practice across other
Government departments and through communicating the value and
purpose of such data to claimants.
b) Setting of claimant commitments and the use of easements.
c) What happens following application of a sanction e.g., do people move
off benefits entirely, are they sanctioned again, do they move into work?
(para 2.57)

13. To help ensure that claimant commitments are properly tailored to individual
claimants, reasonable adjustments are made where required and easements are
applied where appropriate:

a) Initial interview times for individuals with complex needs, neuro-diverse
conditions, fluctuating conditions, mental health conditions and/or those
who need an interpreter should be lengthened to ensure there is sufficient
time for work coaches to properly understand an individual’s
circumstances, tailor their claimant commitment accordingly and ensure
that it is understood by the claimant.
b) Work coaches should have a standard set of topics to cover with
claimants to help elicit information required and set appropriate and
tailored claimant commitments (in addition to any other questions which
are appropriate). Where appropriate, work coaches should seek specialist

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