DR UK says public sector should do disability benefits assessments

Sun,8 April 2018
News Benefits

Mentally unwell woman has disability benefits stopped because assessor failed to turn up to home visit.

Ken Butler, DR UK welfare benefits advisor, told The Independent:

“Time and time again we hear of poor assessment practices when it comes to disability benefits. This has a massive impact on people who qualify but are turned down for benefits because of bad administration and decision making.

“It’s unacceptable that companies like Capita, Atos and Maximus are paid hundreds of millions of pounds every year to provide a service to the public and are allowed to continue with their poor practices. 

“The government should be doing more to hold them to account, and penalising them when they fail to deliver.”

He urged the government to “seriously consider” transferring responsibility for assessments to the public sector, rather than allowing them to be used as a “profit-making exercise”.

“In the meantime, disabled people must be fully compensated for any extra costs they’ve incurred as a result of a poor assessment,” he added.