BBC News – Capability assessment waits ‘will take 18 months to reduce’

[Legal Beagles]

A firm that will carry out capability assessments on benefit claimants for the government says it could take 18 months to reduce the existing backlog. US-based Maximus Health Services will replace the current firm Atos in March 2015 on a three-year £500m contract. There are currently more than 600,000 claimants waiting to be assessed; some […]

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[Kati]

Re: BBC News – Capability assessment waits ‘will take 18 months to reduce’

A Department for Work Pensions spokesman said the department was aware the assessment system was not "working as well as it should" and had "made significant improvements to make it better".
"We have now announced we're bringing in a new provider to deliver the assessments with the aim of increasing delivery capacity so that people are seen in the quickest possible time," the DWP added

I think it's disgusting that the disabled and long-term sick are having to wait so long to be assessed. These people are struggling enough as it is without having to wait for an 18 month backlog to be cleared
What's going to happen to new claimants while they are dealing with the 600,000+ people already in the queue? Are they going to have a longer wait to be seen due to the shambles already in place?


And; do we really need a company that is reported as being fined for errors previously attempting to sort out our disability benefits system?

in the past, Maximus has incurred fines for errors in the US and some doubts have been expressed over whether the company will be able to handle the new responsibility.

Are they going to do any better than ATOS have?

[seduraed]

Re: BBC News – Capability assessment waits ‘will take 18 months to reduce’

Hmm I wonder if someone trousered a fat consultaion appointment or a an even fatter fee.

[MissFM]

Re: BBC News – Capability assessment waits ‘will take 18 months to reduce’

What a terrible, shameful waste of resources these companies are. Why can't people be assessed by their GP's or consultants as a matter of course. All these extra, uncaring, corporate snouts in the trough

[Kati]

Re: BBC News – Capability assessment waits ‘will take 18 months to reduce’

I'd like to know why an American company is being paid to do this ... surely there's enough medically trained people here in the UK to do the job (if they cannot use GPs or consultants instead as MissFM suggests)

[Fred]

Re: BBC News – Capability assessment waits ‘will take 18 months to reduce’

There are arguments for & against who can provide the best or most efficient service.............for me I have to say it it should not be based on profit margins or pay.