Disability assessments to be ended
FACE- TO- FACE disability benefit assessments are to be scrapped in Scotland under a new social security system. The Scottish Government said that decisions on applications for the new Adult Disability Payment will be made using information from health care providers during the application process.
And people will not be asked to carry out tasks, like walking a certain distance or lifting empty cardboard boxes, to prove their disability as part of the process.
Research into how people felt about the current assessment model was carried out before the new system was devised.
People who have undergone the assessment system for Disability Living Allowance and Personal
Independence Payments told government Experience Panels it was the most stressful part of the overall process.
The research report stated: “Respondents used words such as “degrading’”, “humiliating” and “stressful” to describe the experience.
“There was, across most respondents, concern about the competency, reliability and integrity of the health assessors, as well as the value and fairness of the way health assessments are currently implemented.”
It continued: “A great deal of the negative comments from respondents related to the conduct of health assessors during the assessment itself.
“Respondents reported feeling ‘ on trial’ and ‘ under suspicion’ whilst attending their health assessment.”
One said: “We have been through this process with my son and it felt like we were on trial at court, not a good experience what so ever.”
The Scottish Government has said that if more detail is needed to finalise a decision then it will be done over the telephone between a healthcare profession employed by the Government and the client and there will be no private sector involvement.
The follow up, if needed can also be carried out at a GP surgery or at home depending on the persons circumstances.
Shirley- Anne Somerville, Cabinet Secretary for Social Security and Older People, said no- one should ever experience stress when accessing the support they are entitled to.
She said: “People who require disability assistance will already face a number of challenges and interacting with a benefit system shouldn’t become another one.
“We want people to feel that they have been treated well and fairly at every stage – from having an application form that is clear and easy to use right through to how we make sure someone is still able to access money when they want to appeal our decisions.
“I’d like to thank the people who have worked with us to design this service , the volunteers on our Experience Panels and stakeholders.”