Work Capability Assessment (WCA)
Learn about Work Capability Assessments (WCA) for Universal credit or Employment and Support Allowance (ESA).
Work Capability Assessments (WCA) are used to decide if a person applying for certain benefits is fit to work. These benefits include Universal Credit or New Style Employment and Support Allowance (ESA). If you're applying for either of these benefits, the forms ask about your health conditions or disabilities. If the DWP decision maker believes they need more evidence, you will have to have a WAC.
Universal Credit and ESA are managed by the Government's Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). If your application is successful, DWP will place you in 1 of 2 groups. They use the form you filled in and the assessment report to place you in a group.
Work related activity group (WRAG)
You will be placed in this group if DWP decide that you can work. You may need a bit of support and help with certain work-related activities, like writing CVs.
Limited capability for work related activity (LCWRA or Support group)
You will be placed in this group if you have difficulty doing some work-related activities.
The threshold is quite high but some deaf people can qualify based on their deafness alone. If you have limited capability for work it can mean extra money in Universal Credit. It may mean that there is extra support available to help you find work.
You may also be at less of a risk of being sanctioned. A Universal Credit sanction is losing money because you didn't do something in your 'claimant commitment'.
The assessment
The purpose of a WCA is to determine which group you should be in. They do this by asking questions about your day-to-day life that relate to a series of activities and descriptors. Activities are things someone may reasonably be expected to do in the workplace. These activities are separated into descriptors. The descriptors explain tasks of varying difficulty related to the activity.
Descriptors are tasks that someone finds difficult or cannot do reliably and safely. Each descriptor has a number of points.
During the assessment they will decide which descriptors apply to you. The descriptors that fit you will determine which group you will be placed in. Depending on the outcome of the assessment you may receive extra money or support with finding a job. For Universal Credit it can affect your 'claimant commitment.
The WAC will take place over the phone, on video, or face-to-face at an assessment centre. The healthcare professional conducting the assessment will be from a third-party assessment provider. They should have read a copy of your application form before the assessment.
Descriptors
Work related activity group
The most relevant descriptors for people who are deaf for the work related activity group:
Activity 6
Making yourself understood through speaking, writing, typing, or other means which are normally or could reasonably be used, unaided by another person.
6(a) Cannot convey a simple message, such as the presence of a hazard. Score 15
6(b) Has significant difficulty conveying a simple message to strangers. Score 15
6(c) Has some difficulty conveying a simple message to strangers. Score 6
6(d) None of the above applies. Score 0
Activity 7
Understanding communication by:
(i) verbal means (such as hearing or lip reading) alone;
(ii) non-verbal means (such as reading 16-point print or Braille) alone; or
(iii) a combination of (i) and (ii), using any aid that is normally or could reasonably be used, unaided by another person.
Descriptors:
7(a) Cannot understand a simple message, such as the location of a fire escape, due to sensory impairment. Score 15
7(b) Has significant difficulty understanding a simple message from a stranger due to sensory impairment. Score 15
7(c) Has some difficulty understanding a simple message from a stranger due to sensory impairment. Score 6
7(d) None of the above applies. Score 0
Activity 8
Navigation and maintaining safety using a guide dog or other aid if either or both are normally or could reasonably be used.
8(a) Unable to navigate around familiar surroundings, without being accompanied by another person, due to sensory impairment. Score 15
8(b) Cannot safely complete a potentially hazardous task such as crossing the road, without being accompanied by another person, due to sensory impairment. Score 15
8(c) Unable to navigate around unfamiliar surroundings, without being accompanied by another person, due to sensory impairment. Score 9
8(d) None of the above applies. Score 0
Activity 15
This is about how you feel for example if you become anxious and need someone to accompany you on unfamiliar routes.
Getting about
15(a) Cannot get to any place outside the claimant’s home with which the claimant is familiar. Score 15
15(b) Is unable to get to a specified place with which the claimant is familiar, without being accompanied by another person. Score 9
15(c) Is unable to get to a specified place with which the claimant is unfamiliar without being accompanied by another person. Score 6
15(d) None of the above applies. Score 0
Limited capability for work related activity group
The most relevant descriptors for people who are deaf for the limited capability for work related activity group:
Activity 6
Making self understood through speaking, writing, typing, or other means normally, or could reasonably be, used, unaided by another person.
Cannot convey a simple message, such as the presence of a hazard.
Activity 7
Understanding communication by hearing, lip reading, reading 16 point print or using any aid if reasonably used.
Cannot understand a simple message due to sensory impairment, such as the location of a fire escape.
Appel a WCA decision
Most decisions can be appealed. Before doing this you should check the reason why and get some advice. You can contact our Helpline.
The first stage is to apply for a mandatory reconsideration. A mandatory reconsideration is when a different DWP case manager looks at a decision again. This should be done within a month and you will need to outline your reasons why you think they are wrong.
If they don’t change their mind you can appeal to the independent tribunal service. Find out more about challenging WCA decisions (Disability Rights UK).
Full references for this webpage are available by emailing
informationteam@ndcs.org.uk