Investigating experiences and perceptions of well-being during the work-capability re-assessment process
Creators: name: Fassioms, David
Publisher: name: Lancaster University
Year: 2024

description: Previous research on the experiences of adults in receipt of welfare
 benefits has focussed on benefit recipients contending with health, social
 and economic difficulties, stigma while receiving benefits and experiences
 of conditionality measures. Those with ill-health or disability who have
 limited ability to work, or are unable to work and applying for benefits
 in relation to this need to go through a work-capability assessment
 process. Most claimants will then be subject to re-assessment of their
 capability to work periodically. There is existing research related to the
 work-capability assessment but a lack of research related to the
 re-assessment process specifically.
 
 
 In November 2020, approximately two million people in the UK were in
 receipt of work-related benefits and deemed to have severe functional
 disability as a result of their health conditions. Since the start of the
 COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, there are 363,000 more people out of work
 due to long-term health conditions, with a 22% increase of people with
 long-term sickness as a result of mental illness specifically. Therefore,
 further understanding of individuals’ experiences and perceptions of their
 well-being during the benefit re-assessment process is vital, allowing
 potential issues to be identified and recommendations made which could
 improve the benefit system for those navigating it. Previous research has
 shown that long-term benefit recipients fear for their financial security
 due to anxiety around financial support being reduced or withdrawn, which
 impacted on their mental health and well-being. However, this research
 focussed predominantly on recipients of a legacy benefit that was phased
 out from 2008. Additionally, the work-capability assessment has been found
 to be detrimental to mental health and re-traumatising to military
 veterans. 
 
 
 Prior to the research study, a literature review was conducted that
 scrutinised how individuals experience the benefit system and their health
 and well-being while claiming welfare benefits. The themes derived from
 the literature review were: 1) Benefit recipients have to contend with
 health, social and economic difficulties; 2) Benefit recipients struggle
 with identity and stigma; 3) Benefit recipients feel negativity, mistrust
 and are distressed by the benefits system; 4) Benefit recipients feel the
 work capability assessment (WCA) is not suitable in assessing some health
 conditions; 5) Benefit recipients do not see work related activity (WRA)
 as credible; 6) Benefit recipients can benefit from volunteering or
 permitted work. 
 
 
 This thesis attempts to address the need for further research exploring
 experiences and perceptions of well-being during the work-capability
 re-assessment process. Specifically, for people who were deemed to have
 severe functional disability at a previous work-capability assessment
 (WCA) and are in the Employment Support Allowance (ESA) support group or
 the equivalent Universal Credit limited capability for work and
 work-related activity group (UC LCWRA group). The study employed
 qualitative methodology and 18 ESA support group or UC LCWRA group
 recipients participated in in-depth interviews. The narratives presented
 from this study portray how the re-assessment process is fraught with
 difficulties that can lead to stress, anxiety and depression amongst other
 symptoms and feelings. Moreover, it can exacerbate existing physical
 and/or mental health symptoms. The cycle of re-assessments for those in
 the ESA support group or UC LCWRA group were perceived as never-ending,
 harmful to health and led to social struggles including financial
 difficulties, food poverty and energy poverty. Despite already being found
 to have severe functional problems due to sickness or disability at a
 previous assessment, the process of being re-assessed represents
 conditionality, as non-compliance with the process will lead to the
 benefit being withdrawn despite individuals’ difficulties already being
 known to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). Furthermore,
 participants experienced stigma during the process due to feeling judged
 for being in receipt of benefits, which adds to the already arduous
 process of navigating the re-assessment process. 
 
 
 The policy implications from the findings point to the need for major
 improvements to the re-assessment process, including: 
 
 
 - Ensuring there is a longer period of time between re-assessments for
 people who have experienced numerous re-assessments and been consistently
 found to have limited capability for work and work-related activity.
 
 
 - The assessment provider should deliver further training for staff
 regarding claimants’ perceptions of the re-assessment process to provide a
 more sensitive approach and positive experience for claimants navigating
 the re-assessment process
 
 
 - The government and media should change how they communicate about people
 in receipt of benefits. This includes avoiding language that is
 discriminatory towards benefit claimants or will incite stigma.