Initial Work Capability Assessments: outcomes for blind and partially sighted ESA claimants: Scotland

Key findings

1.Introduction

This briefing contains the key findings from the most recent statistics on the outcomes of the initial Work Capability Assessments (WCA) for blind and partially sighted (BPS) Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) claimants in Scotland. The statistics presented apply to claims for the periods from October 2008 to March, September or December 2013 (depending upon the individual table).

The statistics were provided by DWP following a Freedom of Information Act (FOI) request for an ad hoc analysis relating to ESA claimants who are blind or partially sighted. Equivalent tables for all claimants in Great Britain are in the Official Statistics publication, released on 24 June 2014(DWP, 2014).

1.1Definition of blind and partially sighted

DWP administrative data has a category 'Diseases of the Eye and Adnexa'. As this includes some acute medical conditions that do not cause vision impairment ESA claimants with these acute conditions are excluded from the tables in this briefing. The tables are broken down by each of the 10 non-acute conditions in Diseases of the Eye and Adnexa detailed in appendix A.

Throughout this document, claimants with Diseases of the Eye and Adnexa with conditions that are associated with vision impairment (as detailed in appendix A) will be referred to as the BPS group.

1.2Notes on the tables

The figures provided by DWP are rounded to the nearest 100. The sum of the numbers in the tables may therefore not tally exactly with the totals given. They also exclude any numbers under ten (which are denoted as “ – “ meaning ‘nil or negligible’). All the percentages are therefore based on the DWP totals and for this reason may not add up to 100%.

2.Key findings

2.1BPS claimants put forward for WCA in Scotland
  • Between October 2008 and September 2013 a total of 1,500 blind and partially sighted ESA claimants had undertaken or were in the process of undertaking an initial Work Capability Assessment, or had closed their claim before the assessment had been completed.
  • 40% of BPS claimants (600) were in the 'blindness and low vision' sub-group
  • 27% of BPS claimants (400) had their claim closed before assessment had taken place
2.2Initial WCA outcomes in Scotland
  • Between October 2008 and December 2013 a total of 900 blind and partially sighted claimants completed their initial Work Capability Assessment. The outcomes were:
  • Work Related Activity Group (WRAG):
  • 33.3% BPS claimants
  • 33.3% of BPS claimants in the WRAG group had 'Blindness and Low Vision' (this was the largest of all the BPS sub-groups)
  • 25.0% of claimants with ‘blindness and low vision’ were allocated to the WRAG group
  • Support Group:
  • 22.2% BPS claimants
  • 100%* of BPS claimants in the Support Group had 'blindness and low vision' (this was the largest of all the BPS sub-groups)
  • 50.0% of claimants with ‘blindness and low vision’ were allocated to the Support Group

*Small number of claimants (under 10) in other BPS sub-groups may have been allocated to the Support Group but the numbers were too small to be reported.

  • Fit for Work:
  • 44.4% BPS claimants
  • 25.0% BPS claimants found Fit for Work had 'blindness and low vision' (this was the largest of all the BPS sub-groups)
  • 25.0% of claimants with ‘blindness and low vision’ were found Fit for Work
2.3Fit for Work (FFW) appeals in Scotland
  • Between October 2008 and March 2013 a total of 400 blind and partially sighted claimants appealed their initial Fit for Work decision. Information on the appeal outcome was available for 50% of them (200). The outcomes were:
  • Initial FFW decision overturned:
  • 50% BPS claimants
2.4New claims - outcomes of initial WCA adjusted to account for the outcome of appeal in Scotland
  • Between October 2008 and September 2013, when the outcomes of FFW appeal decisions are taken into account the WCA outcomes for BPS claimants are:
  • Fit for Work:
  • 37.5% BPS claimants
  • 25.0% BPS claimants with 'blindness and low vision'
  • Work Related Activity Group (WRAG):
  • 37.5% BPS claimants
  • 25.0% BPS claimants with 'blindness and low vision'
  • Support Group:
  • 25.0% BPS claimants
  • 50.0% BPS claimants with 'blindness and low vision'
2.5New claims: reasons for assignment to Support Group
  • When comparing the reasons claimants were assigned to the Support Group for new claims starting between October 2008 and September 2013, the reason given for all*of the 200 BPS claimants was ‘severe functional disability’.

*A small number of BPS claimants (under 10) may have been assigned to the Support Group for other reasons but this was not reported as the numbers were too small.

2.6New claims: reason for assignment to WRAG
  • When comparing the reasons claimants were assigned to the WRAG group for new claims starting between October 2008 and September 2013 the reasons are:
  • 15 points or more at assessment:
  • 66.7% BPS claimants
  • 100% BPS claimants with 'blindness and low vision'
  • After appeal:
  • 33.3% BPS claimants
2.7New claims - WRAG (15 points or more) at functional assessment split into functional impairments
  • Between October 2008 and September 2013, at initial functional assessment all of the 200 BPS claimants assigned to the WRAG because they scored 15 points or more, were in the sensory functional impairment category
  • Because some claimants have multiple impairments, the total figure provided by DWP over-represents the number of claimants
  • A small number of BPS claimants (under 10) who scored 15 points or more may have come into other functional impairment categories but this was not reported as the numbers were too small.
2.8Incapacity Benefits reassessments: outcomes of Work Capability Assessments adjusted to account for the outcome of appeal in Scotland
  • Since the start of the reassessment process in April 2011 and September 2013, a total of 800 BPS people on Incapacity Benefit (IB) were referred for reassessment.
  • 50% of BPS claimants () were in the 'blindness and low vision' sub-group
  • After adjusting for the outcome of appeals, the outcomes for completed assessments were:
  • Work Related Activity Group (WRAG):
  • 37.5% BPS claimants
  • 33.3% of claimants with ‘blindness and low vision’ were allocated to the WRAG group
  • Support Group:
  • 62.5% BPS claimants
  • 66.7% of claimants with ‘blindness and low vision’ were allocated to the Support Group
  • Fit for Work*:
  • -% BPS claimants
  • -% of claimants with ‘blindness and low vision’ were found Fit for Work

*A small number of BPS claimants(under 10) may have been found Fit for Work but this was not reported as the numbers were too small.

Sue Keil

National research officer (education, transition and employment)

Evidence and Service Impact

4 August 2014

References

DWP (2014) Employment and Support Allowance: outcomes of Work Capability Assessments, Great Britain. Quarterly Official Statistics Bulletin. 24 June 2014

DWP Freedom of Information (FOI) Response to RNIB dated 23 July 2014. Reference: 2014-2752

Appendix A

Diseases of the Eye and Adnexa (ICD10): Conditions that are associated with vision impairment

The list below is taken from the DWP category 'Diseases of the Eye and Adnexa'. Because this includes some acute medical conditions that do not cause vision impairment, we have removed the acute conditions from the Diseases of the Eye and Adnexa category and would like analysis of DWP data to include only those people with the following 10 conditions:

  • H16 - Keratitis (inflammation of the cornea)
  • H20 - Iridocyclitis (acute inflammatory disease of the anterior segment)
  • H26 - Other cataract
  • H33 - Retinal detachment and breaks
  • H40 - Glaucoma
  • H44 - Disorders of the globe
  • H47 - Other disorders of the optic (2nd) nerve and visual pathways
  • H54 - Visual impairment including blindness (binocular or monocular)(Blindness and low vision)
  • H55 - Nystagmus and other irregular eye movement
  • H57 - Other disorders of the eye and adnexa

Acute conditions that have been removed from the Diseases of the Eye and Adnexa category

  • Hordeolum and chalazion (these are inflammatory eye disorders)
  • Other inflammation of the eyelid
  • Conjunctivitis
  • Foreign body on external Eye
  • Other Inflammation of Eyelid