The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has revealed that it will be making major changes to its guidance for health professionals that carry out Personal Independence Payments (PIP) assessments.
According to the new regulations, published on the UK Government website, assessors will be permitted to record the audio of in-person and phone assessments.
The government department has announced that prior to recording the audio of a consultation, consent must be obtained — and the professional carrying out the assessment must “publicise these conditions”.
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The new rules apply only to audio recording, and video recording of assessments will not be allowed, in an effort to protect the privacy of both claimants and staff.
As reported by the Daily Record, here is a run-down of the new DWP rules.
Audio recording of PIP consultations
According to guidelines set out on the UK Government website: “At a face-to-face assessment, the claimant must sign a consent form in which they agree to not use the audio recording for unlawful purposes.
“At a telephone assessment, consent should be captured verbally on the recording.”
The Department for Work and Pensions also revealed that in certain situations, claimants who wish to use their own equipment to audio record their consultation must follow the same consent process as the assessor.
Restrictions on claimants’ use of recordings
The government department stated that so long as it is only the claimant's personal information that is being recorded, then there are not any restrictions on the use the claimant can make of the recording.
Importantly, though, the DWP retains the right to take action in situations where this recording is used for non-lawful purposes — such as if it is edited and published for malicious reasons.
Covert recording of consultations
A claimant may make a covert recording of the consultation without the health professional being aware.
However, if they do notice that a claimant is covertly recording their consultation, the restrictions of use will be explained to them.
Note-taking during the consultation
Both claimants and companions attending an assessment are permitted to record notes for their own personal use.
They are allowed to keep the notes without handing over a copy to the professional, but the DWP states that they may make a record of the fact that notes were taken.
However, it is vital to know that any notes recorded during the session are strictly for the claimant or companion's own use — and are not considered an official record of the consultation.
Earlier in January, the DWP bestowed a multi-million-pound contract to leading video specialist provider Involve Visual Collaboration Limited to host video assessments for health benefit claimants as an alternative to face-to-face meetings.
The initial two-year contract is worth £3.95 million, with the option to extend it for a further two years, making it worth up to £7.79m in total.
The contract forms an integral part of the DWP’s Strategic Digital Video Project, which is increasing efficiencies and cost savings by virtualising the benefits service available to claimants across the UK, a situation which has been accelerated as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
A new DWP National Statistics report revealed that the total number of benefit claimants rose significantly during the first year of the Covid-19 pandemic, increasing from 20.5 million in February 2020 to 23 million in February 2021.
Due to the economic disruption caused by coronavirus, the DWP sought alternative ways to be able to support customers in a cost-effective, timely and efficient way, while keeping public sector workers safe.
The DWP’s priority is to deliver accessible, effective, and fair services to all customers, and assessments have traditionally been completed via face-to-face consultations.
However, to respond to the increase in benefit claimants resulting from the pandemic, and overcome the challenges customers may face in attending in-person appointments, the DWP introduced video call assessments for certain benefits and business areas.
These include:
- Personal Independent Payment (PIP)
- Universal Credit
- Industrial Industries Disablement Benefit
- Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
- Fraud Investigations
As part of this significant contract, Involve will support and manage cloud-based SaaS technology in collaboration with its partner, Induction Healthcare Group, to provide its web-based video assessment platform - Induction Attend Anywhere.
The platform will allow DWP assessors to host and record secure, reliable video assessments with claimants about their financial benefit support needs, as an alternative to an in-person meeting.
Virtual assessments will improve accessibility to DWP services, as customers will be able to attend remotely, which will reduce work absences, and the need for travel and childcare costs.
Virtual meetings will also mitigate Covid-19 health risks and make it easier for people with reduced mobility or a disability to access the support they need.
Involve said that the DWP is prioritising the need for personal assessments and this technology will enable them to deliver a more efficient service that reduces operational costs, reduces customer waiting times and gives customers more flexibility, while maintaining important in-person contact.
Involve has over 30 years of experience in delivering audio visual and collaboration solutions across healthcare, corporate, legal, and public sector markets, including key contracts with the NHS, Her Majesty’s Prisons and the Ministry of Defence.
Commenting on the contract, Mick Roach, Director of Strategic Alliances at Involve, said: “The Covid-19 pandemic has driven a huge increase in the demand for virtual meetings, due to the challenges of meeting in-person.
“As a result, the public sector has had to adapt and speed up their digital transformation to support those they serve.
“Having seen the positive impact that video technology has had within the healthcare space, we are excited to partner with the DWP to provide a more accessible service for their customers.”
Involve was chosen from a shortlist of providers following a competitive process.
