Over 60s

george wrote: Are people over 60 exempt from ATOS reassessments, Work Focussed Interviews, or Sanctions, or do they get any other kind of concession? I seem to remember reading something about it, but I know the Pension age and Pension Credit age is increasing so it might be that all those kinds of concessions, if they ever existed, are out of date now and you get no kind of concession until you are of pensionable age.

George.

I am afraid that nobody, with one exception, is exempt from an ATOS assessment, as long as you continue to receive the benefit you are liable to regular re-assessment.

Claimants who have reached an age where they can claim Pension Credit, there is no requirement for the claimant actually to claim PC, for a woman this is the State Retirement Age, for a man it is the SRA of a woman born on the same day, are excused from attending further WFIs.

The requirement to take part in Work Related Activity is dependant on a claimant being also required to attend WFIs, so this again should be related to being able to claim Pension Credit.

There is no age restriction on sanctions, but as the primary reasons for ESA sanctions are WFIs and WRA, there should be no reason for a sanction to be applied.

I hope this explains it.

Gordon