Neath MP Peter Hain calls on Capita to reform benefit assessment as hundreds of constituents face delays
Evening Post
NEATH MP Peter Hain is calling on a company who assess people for a disability benefit to reform it’s process before descending into “fiasco”.
Mr Hain was speaking out on behalf of thousands of people in his constituency, who are facing delays in their Capita assessments for Personal Independence Payments (PIP).
Capita is the preferred assessment provider in Wales for PIP applications, which replaced Disability Living Allowance (DLA) last April as part of the Government’s welfare changes.
New applicants and those renewing their DLA will now have to apply for PIP, but Mr Hain says applicants have been waiting months for their assessments to be completed after initially making the application in the summer.
In a letter to Capita, Mr Hain said: “I am deeply concerned by the growing trend that is emerging around the Capita assessments for the Personal Independence Payment application and am anxious that this is dealt with swiftly and decisively before a situation similar to the protracted problems experienced with ATOS and the Employment and Support Allowance assessments develops.
“Constituents have approached me, all with the same problem, regarding the length of time.”