Coronavirus: Face-to-face assessments for social security benefits suspended

Therese Coffey has suspended all face-to-face assessments for benefits.

The temporary move, which comes into effect tomorrow, has been announced by the UK government to protect vulnerable people from unnecessary risk of exposure.

It affects claimants of Personal Independence Payment, those on Employment and Support Allowance and some on Universal Credit, and recipients of Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit. The suspension of face-to-face assessments also covers new claims to those benefits.

Work and Pensions Secretary Thérèse Coffey said: "As we move into the next phase of our response to coronavirus, it is right we take steps to protect those with health problems.

"Temporarily suspending face-to-face assessments for sickness and disability benefits will allow us to ensure we continue to provide a safety net for those in need, while removing unnecessary risk of exposure to this disease."

The Department for Work and Pensions has said anyone who has a face-to-face assessment appointment scheduled from tomorrow onwards does not need to attend and will be contacted to discuss next steps and alternative arrangements, which could involve either telephone or paper-based assessments.

It is expected the measure will be in effect for the next three months but the position will be regularly reviewed and no further action is required by any claimant as a result of the change.

Citizens Advice Scotland welcomed the news that the assessments will be suspended during the coronavirus outbreak - but called on the government for the change to be made permanent.

CAS Social Justice spokesperson Mhoraig Green said: "This is the right decision and the forthcoming months will provide further evidence to show why this change should be extended after coronavirus has passed.

"Since face-to-face assessments were introduced, CAB advisers have seen many cases where they have caused distress and resulted in wrong decisions, many of which have had to be overturned on appeal. They are expensive, time-consuming and not well-suited to the outcome wanted.

“If they are to be cancelled for coronavirus we believe they should be ended indefinitely and that we should collate definite evidence over the forthcoming time to demonstrate this change once and for all that all assessments should now be paper-based, making use of existing evidence."

However the DWP said that suspending face-to-face health assessments was a precautionary measure reflecting Boris Johnson's decision to trigger the ‘delay’ phase in tackling coronavirus, and that the change did not affect any existing public health advice.