Capability for Work questionnaire
Capability for Work questionnaire
Every once in a while the postman delivers a letter and I think ‘Uh oh this could be trouble’. On the front of this letter in big black letters I was told ‘IMPORTANT INFORMATION THIS IS NOT A CIRCULAR’ and it was ‘PRIVATE & CONFIDENTIAL’. The really important clue was the sender, printed on the back of the envelope. It was ‘Centre for Health and Disability Assessments …’
The Wife put this letter on the desk in front of me. She didn’t say a word. I had no option but to open it then and there.
It was from the ‘HEALTH ASSESSMENT ADVISORY SERVICE’. There was a brief cursory letter and a Capability for Work Questionnaire. I must complete it and return to them by 6th July 2017.
Capability for Work questionnaire
This 24 page questionnaire is sent by the Department of Work and Pensions or the DWP. Could this be connected to my interview for suspected fraud?
Who knows?
Each question has 3 answers which are ‘Yes’, ‘No’ or ‘It Varies’ and the assesor then awards points for each answer. The 17 very basic questions are evaluating physical and mental ability to work and this can affect Income Support Benefit. The points total will determine how the DWP will consider my capability to work.
Is the questionnaire good enough?
No it is not good enough. How can they get a good understanding of my ability to work from 17 simple questions?
Quite simply life ain’t that easy.
What’s missing?
I am much more concerned by the questions they don’t ask. I think they are very relevant to me and my MS. Issues such as memory, ‘cog fog’ and concentration. These are very real problems and must affect the score.
I have serious double vision so I cannot drive. I run out of energy so I may well need to have a power nap. Now I cannot walk unaided and even then it is excruciatingly slow. I sometimes need to go to the loo in a bit of a rush.
All caused by an incurable progressive disease called multiple sclerosis that I have had for far too long. Does that make me a scrounging git?.
The result
Will they think I am ‘Fit for Work’? Another classification is ‘Unfit for work but fit for “work-related activity”’, in other words they feel I can return to employment at some stage in the future. In other words let’s stick him in limbo land. Maybe they will bite the bullet and say I’m ‘Unfit for Work’.
And Finally
Professor Jonathan Portes formerly the chief economist at the DWP and later the director of the National Institute of Economic and Social Research, has described the Incapacity Benefit reassessment programme as “the biggest single social policy failure of the last fifteen years”.
Its all horribly complicated
Is this why so many cases are returned for review? The government needs a much more feely touchy approach.
June 2017
Hiya Patrick, I am a newbie to your newsletter, so a big hello. I guess you are already aware that the MS Society have a PDF about this particular form. Also, a search on Google should bring up a lot of helpful info.
I am retired now, but when I had forms to fill in, it helped to get to grips with the appeals process straightaway – it gave me a Plan B in case they got it wrong.
Best of luck.
Hello,
These forms are a total nightmare. There is a good team at the Chilterns MS Therapy Centre who help me. It is so hard to be negative about yourself. They know the system and know me as well. You are right, lots of info on Google.