ESA - Screening Tool

The request was successful.

Dear Department for Work and Pensions,

In Working Paper No 26
“Corporate Document Services Incapacity Benefit reforms – Pathways to Work Pilots performance and analysis” on page 4 it states:
“At the initial WFI, the Screening Tool is applied to everyone except those who have been exempted as a result of their PCA. Those who are screened out by the Screening Tool have no further mandatory involvement with the Pathways process as they are deemed least likely to need additional help, but they may participate on a voluntary basis. Those who are not screened out must go on to attend a further five WFIs at roughly four-week intervals (if they remain on IB).”

The screening tool is described at the bottom of the page as:
“Screening Tool: Web-base questionnaire into which Personal Advisers (PAs) input claimants’ answers. These answers are then converted into a score that estimates the probability of the customer still being out of work in 12 months time without further mandatory activity.”

RFI1 – Does the DWP use something similar to the screening tool for ESA claimants? If so please disclose information held that describes its purpose and how it works.

Yours faithfully,

John Slater

DWP freedom-of-information-requests, Department for Work and Pensions

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DWP Strategy Freedom of Information, Department for Work and Pensions

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Operations FOI Requests, Department for Work and Pensions

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Dear Department for Work and Pensions,

Please pass this on to the person who conducts Freedom of Information reviews.

I am writing to request an internal review of Department for Work and Pensions's handling of my FOI request 'ESA - Screening Tool'.

Thank you for such a prompt response. The Department responded:
“There is no tool used by Work Coaches to determine mandatory activity of individuals claiming ESA. Activity is mandated based upon the group in which the customer is placed.”

My request for information included the following description:
“Screening Tool: Web-base questionnaire into which Personal Advisers (PAs) input claimants’ answers. These answers are then converted into a score that estimates the probability of the customer still being out of work in 12 months time without further mandatory activity.”

The Department’s response makes no reference to a screening tool that “estimates the probability of the customer still being out of work in 12 months time without further mandatory activity.”

Please confirm is the Department uses a screening tool that provides an estimate of the probability of a customer still being out of work in any given time period. This is clearly within the scope of my request as it asked for “something similar to the screening tool for ESA claimants”.

A full history of my FOI request and all correspondence is available on the Internet at this address: https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/e...

Yours faithfully,

John Slater

DWP freedom-of-information-requests, Department for Work and Pensions

This is an automated confirmation that your request for information has
been accepted by the DWP FoI mailbox.
 
By the next working day your request will be forwarded to the relevant
information owner within the Department who will respond to you direct. 
 
If your email is a Freedom of Information request you can normally
expect a response within 20 working days.
 
Should you have any further queries in connection with this request do
please contact us.
 
For further information on the Freedom of Information Act within DWP
please click on the link below.
 
[1]http://www.dwp.gov.uk/freedom-of-informa...
 

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Operations FOI Requests, Department for Work and Pensions

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Mr Slater
 
Please see copy of your FoI review request attached
 
 
 
 

Dear Operations FOI Requests,

Thank you for your prompt response and for clarifying that no screening tools are used for ESA claimants.

Yours sincerely,

John Slater

Operations FOI Requests, Department for Work and Pensions

This is an automated confirmation that your request for information has been accepted by the DWP FoI mailbox.
 
By the next working day your request will be forwarded to the relevant information owner within the Department who will respond to you direct. 
 
If your email is a Freedom of Information request you can normally expect a response within 20 working days.
  
For further information on making Freedom of Information requests please click on the link below.

https://www.gov.uk/make-a-freedom-of-inf...