Capita assessors STILL refusing to disclose qualifications

/ jaynel62

Despite the DWP informing Capita it is a “requirement” that PIP assessors must reveal qualifications, it transpires that in Leicester at least, this information has not been passed down.

Last Tuesday Nicki, one of DEAEP’s Peer Supporters went along with a customer to the local Capita Assessment centre; when she asked for the medical qualifications of Stuart the assessor, she was told it was Capita policy this information was withheld?

I’m making no suggestion this will have any influence on the decision, but it does make me wonder how much the DWP requires of assessors, is communicated to them?

I’d be interested to know if anyone else has had this experience?

36 thoughts on “Capita assessors STILL refusing to disclose qualifications”

  7. The ATOS assessor told me she didn’t know a thing about HHT (hereditary haemorrhagic telagtansitasia) , my main condition, and this was within 10 minutes of my PIP assessment starting I could have told her anything and said it was part of the condition.

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  10. Thanks for posting this Jayne it needs to stop and assessors need to answer these questions after all its perfectly resonable to want to know the ‘professional’ qualifications of someone writing a report

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    • Unfortunately a F O I whether answered or not
      does not help those who have had their ” income ” reduced or removed by this system
      and it isn’t the corp orates they are only working within the parameters this govt has set them

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  15. Leslie, I agree with your sentiments and the implications of all that you’ve stated in this series of posts. However, as a point of order the subject about which this post relate, is about a contractor not working to parameters set by the DWP. In reality, I suspect the Gov’t/DWP are, albeit covertly, supportive of the approach taken by CAPITA/Maximus/ATOS.
    Any system/service that is let out to a separate organization has within it the risk of communication problems, and opposing interests: CAPITA to maximize profit, the DWP (when it is working in the public interest) maximize service levels and minimize costs to the taxpayer. These inherent problems are another why the current system should be scrapped and a new system set in place and one that takes in the lessons leant the present debacle – with its unnecessary deaths, suffering and waste of public money.
    shaunt

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  17. If you fail ask for a MR then if they say still the same go to a tribunal and ask for the attendance of the HP (health professional) they won’t turn up, so ask that it is thrown out on that alone they always find against the claimant if they don’t turn up so it should be the same if the HP doesn’t show.

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  18. All medical professionals are required by their registration bodies to disclose their PIN and the name of aforesaid registration body when engaging with anyone in a professional capacity, Score NIL to Crapita.

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  21. I had this problem with ATOS. They attempted to get around it by claiming that they were unable to say which assessor/cleaner/traffic warden would be carrying out the assessment. However, I called them on their bullshit and refused to take part until they complied. Of course, I also threatened to take legal action and to publicise their illegality. We all need to get bolshie with these parasites.

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  22. I’ve tweeted to spread the word and request other experiences – knowing assessor’s qualifications can support your appeal if you have to take it to Tribunal. As I understand it, for ESA, the assessor MUST have suitable qualifications for assessing the claimant’s disability – I believe a case was overturned by the upper tribunal because this was not adhered to. Not heard yet of a ruling like this for PIP, but fingers crossed…

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      • ….the case I’m referring to is Mr Justice Charles’ ruling of ST & GF v SSWP(ESA) [2014] UKUT 547 (AAC), [2015] AACR 23 – specifically the clauses 36 and 38.

        To correct my initial comment after reading these clauses again, it is not specifically that the assessor MUST have the correct level of qualifications and specialism, but rather that, if they do not, this should be taken into account by the first tier tribunal, and that it should have substantial weight when making a ruling. So knowing the assessor’s qualifications are so important when appealing your award at tribunal.

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  23. (FYI the clauses are as follows:

    36. “What is however required of the healthcare professional (HCP) is that s/he has a sufficient understanding of a claimant’s medical conditions and the difficulties flowing from these. That informed understanding will influence the conclusions of the HCP examination…”

    38. “In assessing the weight to be given to any report addressing the functional impact of any medical condition on a claimant, a First-tier Tribunal should consider (a) the level of the author’s expertise (for example, an HCP or a consultant psychiatrist) and (b) the knowledge of the claimant possessed by the author (for example, knowledge gained from a one-off assessment or that gained as a treating clinician). Additionally the date of the evidence, its comprehensiveness, and its relevance to the issues the tribunal has to determine are also key matters for the tribunal to consider. Importantly the tribunal should explain its reasoning for attaching weight to one type or piece of evidence rather than to another. )

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