Today is International Carers Rights Day – a day that celebrates, supports and draws attention to the many thousands of people who care for friends or family members who are ill or disabled. To mark Carers Rights Day, we thought we would outline the important supporting role carers can play as part of the Work Capability Assessment we carry out on behalf of the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). Please read on for more.
How carers can help before a Work Capability Assessment:
Carers can play an important supportive role before a Work Capability Assessment by helping the people that they care for who are applying for Employment and Support Allowance to complete and post the questionnaire we send out to them on behalf of Jobcentre Plus.
Carers can also help by sending us copies of additional medical evidence from the person they are looking after that could help our healthcare professionals to decide whether a face to face assessment is needed.
Other ways carers can help before a Work Capability Assessment:
If a face to face assessment is required, carers can help in the preparation for an assessment by making sure the customer brings along:
• Their appointment letter.
• Their passport or three other different types of identification, such as a birth certificate, a driving licence or a utility bill.
• Any hospital appointment or admission letters.
• Any tablets or other current medication, such as inhalers.
• Any medical aids, such as walking aids, hearing aids, glasses and contact lenses.
How carers can help during a face to face assessment:
We encourage carers to accompany the customer to their face to face assessment where this is possible.
We find that a carer can often help to provide additional information about how the customer’s condition or conditions affects them.
Some customers prefer their carers to wait in the waiting room and others prefer to have them come into the assessment – the choice is up to the customer being assessed.
The customer just needs to let the healthcare professional know before the assessment starts.
If you are a carer looking to find out more about the Work Capability Assessment, please read our blog posts on what to expect before, during and after a Work Capability Assessment. You can also find out more about caring and the support available to carers by visiting .
See also:
Can I bring a companion to my Work Capability Assessment?
Tags: Carers, Carers and the Work Capability Assessment, Carers Day, Carers Rights Day, Department for Work and Pensions, DWP, Employment and Support Allowance, ESA/WCA, International Carers Rights Day
