Work assessment ‘causing stress and anxiety’ for homeless people

Campaigners have warned that the work capability assessment is causing stress and anxiety for single homeless people. Over three-quarters of those surveyed said they are unhappy with the outcome of their assessment.

The campaign group, Crisis, has surveyed people’s experiences of the test, which was introduced in 2008 to assess entitlement to employment and support allowance.

Key results

  • The vast majority of respondents (81 per cent) did not feel positive about their experience of the assessment.
  • Being asked to attend a face-to-face medical assessment made nearly all people (97 per cent) stressed, anxious and worried their claim would be turned down.
  • Over half of respondents (55 per cent) were deemed not to have ‘limited capability for work’ and were moved off employment and support allowance.
  • Outcomes varied greatly depending on whether clients were accompanied – 86 per cent of those unaccompanied were deemed not to have ‘limited capacity for work’, whereas the figure for those accompanied was 39 per cent.
  • Over three-quarters of people were unhappy with the outcome of their assessment and blamed inaccurate assessment reports.

Source: Single Homeless People’s Experiences of the Work Capability Assessment, Crisis

Link: Report

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