So which contract have ATOS lost? ATOS have lost the contract for the Work
Capability Assessment(WCA- the medical tests for Employment and Support
Allowance and Universal Credit).
Why? The Minister of State, Department for Work and Pensions (Mike Penning)
has said this is due to 'significant quality failures in the written reports produced
by Atos following assessments.'
When will this happen? When the government appoints another national
provider probably early next year. Until then ATOS will continue to provide the
assessments. The contract, worth £500 million, was due to end in August
2015. Beyond this the government want more than one provider, to increase
competition.
Which contracts have they kept? ATOS will still be handling medical input into
two thirds of the country's claims for PIP(Personal Independence Payments). We
are waiting news on how they are performing especially compared to CAPITA
(who are handling the other third of claims).
ATOS also carry out assessments relating to Disability Living Allowance,
Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit and War Pensions/ Armed Forces
Compensation Scheme Payments.
In December Dr Paul Litchfield succeeded Professor Malcolm Harrington to
produce the fourth Independent Review on the working of the WCA.
In the meantime, the further roll out of the reassessment of some PIP claims has
been delayed. We mentioned in our February Newsletter that there was a
handy map to show when reassessment of natural migration claims was taking
place. Most of the new areas (where ATOS are delivering) seem to have been
put on hold for the start of reassessment.