Neidio i’r llywio Neidio i’r cynnwys Neidio i’r troedyn

Rydym yn defnyddio cwcis i wella eich profiad o'n gwefan.
Gallwch ddarganfod mwy neu ddileu allan o rai cwcis - mae'r polisïau hyn ar gael yn Saesneg.

Menu

“Unfit for purpose” ESA is biggest problem for Citizens Advice clients

8 Ebrill 2014

Ahead of a Select Committee hearing today (Wednesday) looking into support for sick and disabled people, national charity Citizens Advice has confirmed that problems associated with Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) is now the issue that Citizens Advice clients most commonly seek help with.

In the past year, Citizens Advice dealt with 457,759 problems to do with the widely-criticised benefit. Since 2008 the charity has helped people with nearly 1.5 million problems associated with ESA.

Last month Atos, the company responsible for carrying out the assessments, withdrew from its Government contract following heavy criticism over its performance. As well as delays of as much as six months before getting a decision, inaccurate assessments have been one of the biggest problems with the fit for work tests, with decisions being overturned in 40 per cent of appeals by claimants.

Citizens Advice Chief Executive, Gillian Guy, said:

“The fit for work test is unfit for purpose. The system fails sick and disabled people and wastes taxpayers’ money. Helping people with problems related to ESA is now the biggest issue facing our clients and last year half a million problems with the assessment were dealt with by advisers in our bureaux.

“The poor performance of Atos was just one of many problems and ministers should be under no illusions that their contract ending will cure this system of its ills.

“The best way to get the number and cost of appeals down is to sort the system out.  It is unacceptable that someone can have their health assessed without any medical evidence being examined. Where assessors are shown to have got an assessment wrong then they should face a fine.

“The poor quality of assessments and extra red tape mean that people in genuine need of help can end up without any income whilst their application is reviewed. Rather than force people to jump through more bureaucratic hoops, ministers must give people in need some financial support whilst they wait to appeal."


Rachael Holmes, Head of Families, Welfare and Work Policy at Citizens Advice, will give evidence to the Work and Pensions Select Committee in Parliament today (Wednesday) at 9.45am as part of the Committee's inquiry into Employment and Support Allowance and the Work Capability Assessments.

Citizens Advice is also campaigning to improve Employment and Support Allowance. Find out more about their Fit for Work campaign by visiting: www.citizensadvice.org.uk/fitforwork

Notes to editors:

  1. The Citizens Advice service comprises a network of local bureaux, all of which are independent charities, the Citizens Advice consumer service and national charity Citizens Advice. Together we help people resolve their money, legal and other problems by providing information and advice and by influencing policymakers. For more see the Citizens Advice website.
  2. The advice provided by the Citizens Advice service is free, independent, confidential, and impartial, and available to everyone regardless of race, gender, disability, sexual orientation, religion, age or nationality.
  3. To find your local bureau in England and Wales, visit citizensadvice.org.uk. You can also get advice online at adviceguide.org.uk
  4. You can get consumer advice from the Citizens Advice consumer service on 03454 04 05 06 or 03454 04 05 05 for Welsh language speakers
  5. Citizens Advice Bureaux in England and Wales advised 2.3 million clients on 5.4 million problems from October 2013 to September 2014. For full 2013/2014  service statistics see our quarterly publication Advice trends
  6. Citizens Advice service staff are supported by more than 21,000 trained volunteers, working at over 3,000 service outlets across England and Wales.