Touchbase e-zine is aimed at external front line advisers, intermediaries and other professionals who work with our customers. It provides up-to-date news about benefits, pensions and other DWP services and relevant news from other government departments and agencies.

From the November issue

The Work Capability Assessment

Improving customer experience

Following Professor Harrington’s first Independent Review of the Work Capability Assessment (WCA), DWP is taking positive action to put Decision
Makers at the heart of the decision making process. This includes:
• Introducing new learning and
development
• Developing new Quality Checks
• Establishing a decision-making forum
• Providing additional support for

Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) claimants, by explaining decisions and discussing options.

Learning and development

Our new learning and development package ensures Decision Makers understand the Work Capability Assessment process, their role in it and how to gather and use all the available evidence to make better quality decisions.   

Quality Checks

New quality checks aim to identify any errors and to establish if the Decision Maker uses a consistent approach to gathering, weighing and presenting
evidence. Decisions are checked against a set of required standards covering the whole process, from the gathering of evidence to the outcome of the decision.

Every Decision Counts  

Our Every Decision Counts forum promotes quality standards in decision making and is a channel for Decision Makers to raise issues and share best practice.

Additional support to claimants

As well as an additional letter explaining the WCA process, ESA claimants will benefit from Decision Makers calling them to talk through decisions and
discuss options. If a claim is likely to be unsuccessful, the Decision Maker will call the claimant prior to making a final decision, to check that they have all the available evidence to make a decision and explain next steps.

Positive about the changes

Feedback from our sites in Wrexham and Oldham, that have been delivering additional support to ESA claimants, has been very positive, and indicates that Decision Makers are gaining confidence in the importance of their role within the decision-making process, and that the new procedures offer an improved service.

When will the changes occur?

The changes will affect all new claims and existing claimants being re-referred for a WCA on and after 31 October. Due to the length of the assessment process it may be December before all ESA claimants start to receive the telephone calls from Decision Makers.

Introducing Benefit Integrity Centres (BIC)

DWP has set up a number of Benefit Integrity Centres (BIC) with the specific aim of ensuring that claimants are receiving the correct amount of money

This is part of a wider programme to review almost one million cases each year, in response to the priority the Government is placing on getting and keeping benefit claims right.

BIC sites are contacting claimants by telephone and post to carry out full case reviews on claims for Income Support (IS), Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA), Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) and Incapacity Benefit (IB). They are also contacting claimants by text to remind them of the need to return forms and to notify changes of circumstances within laid down timescales.

Some claimants may ask advice organisations about the new process, and the article is designed to help answer a number of basic questions.

Common questions about the BIC process

What kind of information are claimants being asked for?

The BIC review will cover all aspects of the customer’s personal circumstances, in the same way as information is taken when a new claim is made. If a BIC asks claimants to provide information they must return it as soon as possible, as there is a possibility that payments may be suspended if there
is a delay.

How are claims selected for review?  

Any claimant currently in receipt of benefit can be selected for a claim review.

Claims are chosen across the main four benefits, IS, JSA, ESA and IB, and may be selected for review on more than one occasion.

Some of the letters and forms from the BIC do not look official; how can we be sure they are authentic?

BIC letters all bear the Jobcentre Plus (JCP) logo and forms are standard JCP issue. If a claimant wants to check the authenticity of a letter or form, they can contact their local Benefit Centre who will be able to confirm that BIC action is in progress.

What security arrangements are in place to protect claimants?

When a BIC contacts a claimant by telephone they always ask a set of random security questions to verify the claimant’s identity. These may include the name of the claimant’s bank or building society, but they will never ask for the bank account number or sort code.

When we contact claimants by text the number will display “Jobcentre Plus” or “Jobcentre +”. We will never ask claimants to reply to us by text and these text messages will be for information only.

How can BIC sites be contacted if there is a query?

The BIC sites cannot be contacted directly, but if a claimant has any queries they can telephone their Benefit Centre who will arrange for the BIC to call them back within three working hours, if required.

What is the process where there is an appointee in place?

The BIC should always contact the appointee rather than the claimant. In the unlikely event that this does not happen, the appointee should contact the Benefit Centre immediately. The BIC will then call the appointee back within three working hours to discuss the situation and arrange a time to review the claim.

I have received a form to complete for someone else, why is this?

The only time this would happen is if the individual is named as an appointee for the person. Sometimes an appointee is a friend or family member, but it can also be a corporate body, for example a solicitor, local authority, or care provider. If the person is sure they are not the named appointee for this claimant they should telephone the Benefit Centre immediately. The BIC will then call back within three working hours to discuss the situation.

The claimant has received a reminder letter or text, but has not received the initial letter or form. What should they do?

The claimant should telephone the Benefit Centre and tell them what has happened. They will contact the BIC who will arrange for a telephone review or another form to be sent immediately. The claimant should not collect a form from the Jobcentre as it will get returned to the wrong address and may cause a delay in their benefit payments.

Will a claimant be checked again?

This is possible. A case can be selected for review on more than one occasion. The claimant will still need to comply even if the BIC has conducted a recent review, as there may have been a change of circumstances since the last review.

Will a claimant’s benefits be stopped?

The BIC will only stop benefits if the claimant has no entitlement or has not provided the information within the legally prescribed timescale. They will base their decision on the information the claimant has given to them, and will always write to the claimant to tell them the decision.

What if the review shows that the claimant owes DWP money?

If the claimant owes DWP money, the BIC will arrange for it to be repaid. This can be done over a period of time, so the claimant does not face undue hardship. The Social Security (Claims and Payments) Regulations 1987, Schedule 9, lays down what deductions may be made from
prescribed benefit, the maximum amount deductible, and the order of priority.

What if DWP owes the claimant money?

If DWP owes the claimant money the BIC will ensure this is paid as soon as possible.

What if the claimant wishes to appeal against the outcome of the review?

The claimant has the right to appeal the BIC decision. This should be done by phone or in writing within one month of the day the decision was made.