The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has announced that plans to begin “testing matching people’s primary health condition to a specialist assessor” will start later this year. Minister for Disabled People Tom Pursglove MP, said that assessors will “take part in training to specialise in the functional impacts of specific health conditions”.
The move follows the recent publication of the Health and Disability White Paper, which lays out proposed reforms to the benefits system. As part of its shake-up, the DWP has announced plans to end the Work Capability Assessment (WCA) to encourage people who need to claim benefits back into work.
It’s important to keep in mind that these planned changes in the White Paper are proposals and will be debated in Parliament before coming into force in 2026/27. WCAs currently provide decisions on whether a person is fit for work for the purpose of their Employment Support Allowance (ESA) or Universal Credit allowance.
Under the new proposals, instead of undergoing a WCA, the Personal Independence Payment (PIP) assessment would be used to decide whether a person will receive the new Universal Credit health element.
Mr Pursglove shared the details in a written response to Labour’s shadow work and pensions secretary, Jonathan Ashworth MP. He said: “We will transform the benefits system for the future, so that it focuses on what people can do rather than what they cannot, and ensure people can access the right support at the right time and have a better overall experience when applying for, and receiving, health and disability benefits.
“The Health Transformation Programme (HTP) will enable the delivery of White Paper proposals. We will continue to invest in developing our assessors’ skills. The Specialist Assessors is one of a number of proposed initiatives we will be exploring.
“This year, we will begin testing matching people’s primary health condition to a specialist assessor. As part of this, assessors will take part in training to specialise in the functional impacts of specific health conditions.”
Mr Pursglove added: “HTP is transforming our health assessment service carefully and incrementally. We are exploring different options and testing as we go to ensure the new service meets the needs of claimants, including the need for specialist assessors.
“All our test and learn activity will be planned and prioritised to ensure we learn the right things at the right time, to deliver the best outcomes for claimants.”
You can read the full proposals contained within the Health and Disability White Paper on GOV.UK here.
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