Now that there are four different companies - Capita, Ingeus, Maximus and Serco - providing work capability assessments and PIP assessments, we’d like to hear about your experiences of dealing with them, so that other claimants can know what to expect.

Everything including:

  • are letters from them clear and detailed;
  • can you can get through on the phone,
  • do they offer face-to-face assessments at a nearby and accessible location,
  • can you easily change the date or assessment type,
  • are assessors courteous,
  • are assessments accurate.

Whatever you want to share with us that you think would be of interest to other claimants, you can post in the comments section below.

Remember to tell us which assessment provider you dealt with and whether it was a PIP assessment or a work capability assessment for universal credit or employment and support allowance..

You can post anonymously, but please bear in mind that comments are moderated before being published and they may not be published, or may be edited, if we are concerned they could lead to legal action being taken against us.

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  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    Kim · 6 days ago
    I was expecting WCA assessment by phone at 11.50. I never received a call. I suffer terribly with anxiety and depression and as time went on I was in a terrible state. I rang the switchboard and was told not to worry they would chase it up. I was sitting with my phone in hand all day but still no call. I rang again later in day to be told my call would be escalated again. Still no phone call. I was really ill at this point. Next day I phoned again to be told they had tried to contact me 3 times. The switchboard operator then checked my phone number which was wrong. He corrected my number and told me further appointment would be sent out. I still havent received. I have received message from DWP asking for 4 months bank statements and photo ID. I don't know what is going on but this is really getting me even further down.
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    RichDDUK · 6 days ago
    I had a phone assessment on the Thursday the 26th September and it was 2 hours long with a Maximus health professional , she was rude and arrogant, didn't listen to a word i had to say and kept asking the same questions again and again and it was on repeat. half the questions she asked didn't have any relevance to my health condition and was more designed to catch me out and make me look so small, she had a manager on the phone with her who didn't even bother to interrupt until the end when I was very upset. I have raised a complaint but have not even been acknowledged, i have had to phone the DWP to request a copy of my report and so far all i know is that it states i need to be re-assed again in 2 years time, despite having a long term chronic health condition, maximus and the DWP are a joke. 

    At no point was the woman's qualifications even discussed and what role she played previously, she asked about what school i went to despite this being over 25 years ago and any qualifications, not relevant to my MH or Chronic health condition. bad bad. 
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      The Dogmother · 5 days ago
      @RichDDUK @RichDDUk I'd similar experience, but with a pip assessor, a very young nurse, this was my third pip assessment upon being forced over from my indefinite dla. She was passive aggressive,to say the least.
      Asked if I talked on the phone to my mum ,I said no need to she's here every day, I said my sister in law tends to phone calls I don't,  she said well your here on the phone with me now aren't you. I told her I am not permitted to drive and never have been due to my heart conditions, she said so you've no interest in driving. Like my pip reports before this one bore no resemblance to what I said ,on one it said I was 35 and my daughter cared for me, I was 50, I don't have a daughter. I wasn't breathless,she stated,  though I'd to use my inhaler because the more I had to talk the worse my chest felt. I was recovering too from a chest infection so my breathing was bad.
      All this was recorded. They're were at least 19 "discrepancies " and down right twisted lies on my report. How they get away with it is beyond me. My anxiety was through the roof, I'd panic attacks after ,collapsed on the floor and was paranoid for months on end after, never been paranoid in my life. She did that. Anyway, got denied pip went to MR ,won it back. They get away with too much. We have to be truthful but they don't. Even with decades of evidence to back us up .
      We are at their mercy. I'll never forgive them,esp her. Made my life hell. She was the worst to date. Kid less than half my age (this was 2022)  i was 56 then,twisting my words even though it was recorded. Link they sent to retrieve copy didn't work but we didn't let them away with that,we phoned for a physical cd copy,my sister in law had it also on her phone. Listening back to it made me throw up. Almost two hrs of a living Hell. Best of luck to you. 
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    Lindaburner · 6 days ago
    I had an phone assessment last May by a mental health nurse and my PIP was stopped upon MR 3 months later. I fought it by putting in for a tribunal. In January this year the PIP case manager called me to admit no one had actually read any of my evidence until they got the court papers. I got offered higher rate daily allowance, along with lower rate mobility, backpaid till they stopped all my PIP at MR. I made a complaint to the Independent Assessors about her report, which TOTALLY missed out all the evidence submitted, & said I had NO ongowing functional restrictions. Lies! The complaints process has been very slow, & IAS agreed the assessor failed to read most of the evidence. No offer of any compensatio
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    Inglis · 7 days ago
    I am 71 with lots of health issues. I often need to use a wheel chair. Why would I have to undergo another check since there is no cure for my conditions? When will we get to live out our last days in peace?
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    Bob · 10 days ago
    My last WCA was in 2019 put in ESA support group not heard anything since. I know when lockdown started there was a backlog and they have caught up a bit but still catching up.  I live in east midlands so don't know who the new WCA provider is now was maximus before might be capita now. 
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      The Dogmother · 5 days ago
      @Bob @Bob sent me pip forms to fill in (review) during lockdown and then stopped my  pip. I later heard they've weren't supposed to stop it for anyone mid lockdown, as it was too difficult to obtain medical evidence etc during that time. How lucky was I. Stopped it dead. What a struggle to get the extra things I needed to send off for an MR, had to do a paper based tribunal this time instead of a f2f like my first but I won it back again. So my third time i got it back at MR. I dunno why they put us through this repeatedly esp with v long and life long established conditions. It can only be so we give up. 
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    Jay · 10 days ago
    3 years ago when I had my PIP assessment, the person took zero notice of what I said, ignored it all and awarded me nothing. Upon MR, they relented as I said I wanted a tribunal. It shows the DWP are corrupt and deliberately pushing people off PIP or ESA and then throw you a bone to keep you from the Tribunal where you maybe better off. I am sick of the DWP completely, over 20 years I've had hassle from them. 
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      A. N. Selman-Jordan · 2 days ago
      @Thank you The problem is that the DWP follows whatever the assessor says whether it's true or not, regardless of all the evidence that you send. Also, the DWP does not send the assessor all the information they have on you they only send the 30 pages of the review form... Which makes no sense. I asked my last assessor how much evidence they sent her, and she had 30 pages...I told her that I had to go to tribunal before and it was over 200 pages of evidence...that's when both of us twigged that the DWP was stitching us both up. As ill as I am I will take them to tribunal forever and ever if they claim I'm not disabled.
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      The Dogmother · 3 days ago
      @Leanne2730 Yes they do get bonuses and no matter how much they trumpet that they dont it's more lies. 
      I know a lady who did an assessors job for 14 mths until she could stand it no more, she's a very fair person and said the anount of ppl she assessed over the phone had her drained,she would often sob afterwards herself. And she told my sister in law, "No bonus is worth the stress".
      "I hated playing down the health conditions and disabilities of those I knew were genuine".
      Straight from the horses mouth.
      She now suffers from depression and anxiety that she never had before. She left just before the 14mths were up. Who'd blame her. 
      It's not the job for soft hearted ,right minded ppl. You need the heart of a swinging brick it seems 
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      The Dogmother · 3 days ago
      @Thank you @Thank you ,yeah.. but what they say on the report Is bond, the assessor plays down facts. Otherwise ppl would be awarded accordingly for their conditions.  If they didn't tell blatant lies then it would be fair.  What they say influences the DWP. Been through the system far to many times and understand it only too well to see the game they play against us.
      Dwp are going to read a fake report and believe it. They already have our pip form with medical evidence, so whys that not enough??
      The assessor twists our answers to suit an agenda. To stop our benefits. No other reason. 
      And that report is what dwp go by. 
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      Thank you · 6 days ago
      @Leanne2730 The assesors do not award or reject applications or get people on or off benefits this is done by the DWP.
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      Leanne2730 · 8 days ago
      @Jay How awful.  I am in a similar situation now and have submitted my MR but feel unsure if the procedure and what happens next.  I felt whatever I said in the telephone assessment didn't matter - the decision was already made. the assessors get bonuses for getting people off benefits.
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    Mrs McShane · 10 days ago
    My daughters pip assissment in June when the pip accessor phoned we had it on loud speaker as I was sitting beside her well we could not hear the woman speaking I said this is an awful bad line she said I phone you back well the same thing happened again it was all echo and she couldn't hear us well this happened 5 times my daughter has the call log on her phone it wasted the first 20 minuites and when we eventually could hear her it was like a whisper omg it was awful we only got about 2 questions answered.
    My daughter and I was crying at the stress of it all.
    This was Capita
    I did ring and complain.
    However my daughter got the dreaded letter from them not one point was given to my daughter even tho I tried to tell the woman my daughter had just had a complete mental breakdown and other ailments it was just awful. 
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    Karen Banks · 11 days ago
    My Son was assessed with Capita
    The Assessor was a very polite and friendly general nurse
    She was fantastic she made her own observations and picked up a few
    things i had forgotten to put on the claim form
    we did not feel under any stress at all
    The outcome was exactly what we expected Enhanced for both elements.

  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    Marthamay · 11 days ago
    Some years ago I was in receipt of low rate DLA and worked part time. I was eligible for Access to Work programme and was supported until my GP advised that due to my health status I needed to call it a day. Around this time I had a home assessment for PIP as my DLA was going to be stopped.
    No longer working and refused PIP I did not have the will to battle through with the process, although I subscribed to B & W and studied what needed to be done. Six years on and a WASPI, I needed to try again before it was too late. My health had deteriorated further and my mobility issues have become extremely challenging. I completed the initial telephone call to request PIP and was advised to complete the process online for ease and speed. (June 2024). I completed all the courses by B&W and my brain was fried. I completed the pages required to the best of my ability. Capita sent me an appointment and a booklet to be read prior to my telephone assessment. The telephone assessment lasted 2 hours and 40 minutes. During this time I needed the toilet and to get a drink and to move around due to pain. I told the assessor this and she was seemingly very obliging and kindly. I received a text some weeks later to say that a decision had not been reached. Sometime later I received a text advising I had been awarded PIP. Ten days later I received the letter telling me I had 6 points for daily living and 10 points mobility. Therefore I am 2 points off receiving PIP for daily living. I telephoned the DWP and requested the written assessment be sent to me. They have agreed to do so. I want to know how risky it will be to challenge the decision. The letter states that because I have a long term progressive ill health but have not recently seen a health professional they do not have the evidence to make the award for daily living. I have not seen a health professional because they only speak to me via the telephone and say they do not need to physically see me.
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    Jade · 11 days ago
    My sons award for DLA ended when he turned 16. Apparently according to ATOS lifelong neurological  and developmental disorders magically resolve once a person turn 16, because after getting high daily care and low mobility dla from age 5, at 16 he was awarded a score of 0 points. . 

    After seeing the assessors report, which did not resemble the conversation i had at all, im not surprised he was denied. 
    During the ATOS assault. I mean assessment, which I later found out was a carried by paramedic who I'm not sure had ever heard of ADHD or Autism, or dyspraxia let alone knew the first thing about it, I was asked some very bizarre questions, which translated into a report made up of a colourful mixture of lies, statement I didn't make, the total opposite of what i said and my favourite a futuristic unmanned bus service! 

    The report said that my son played video games, therefore, had no problems with fine motor skills, had good hand eye co ordination and was able to focus and pay attention. 
    I would later argue on appeal that these things could only begin to be true, if I told you he was very good at the games, which I did not. 
    And also, that hyper focusing on a video game from 6am til 6pm having not washed, dressed, eaten, drunk taken medication or gone to the toilet was a very typical behaviour for someone with adhd, and was not an indication of issues with inattention and focus, and in fact was a perfect example of the issues he struggles he faces and not proof he doesnt strggle at all. Which anyone who knew anything about ADHD and autism would know. 

    It also stated that he had no real issues due to the fact he attended a mainstream school-its very rare for a child with adhd to be eligible or need to go to a special needs school, and passed his GCSEs-he has adhd and autism, he's not stupid-

     He also neglected to mention the asd provision at the mainstream school and the send support in place-

    I was asked,  Could he travel alone on a bus? I Answered no. And gave the reasons why.  Agsin, he chose to focus on one reason i gave-One of the reasons was due to the amount of people on a bus. His next question was, if there was no one on the bus, could he travel on the bus alone?  I firstly asked, well why is he getting on an empty bus? He said hypothetically, if there was no other people on the bus, could he travel on it. I said, well no, because if there's no one on the bus then theres no one to drive it. He didn't like that.  

    Then he asked of there was no one but they'd river, and if I had to write directions down for him to follow cpuld he do it, at which point i said, if i write instructions tobwhete to get on and off and which bus tobget etc,  then essentially he is not doing it on his own/without support is he?  The final report said 
    'He could use an automated bus if his mum had written directions for him' I'm not even sure what part of his disability he was assessing here, or what it proves or disproves, because as far as I'm aware, there are no automated buses.  This is just an example of how ridiculous the assessments can be, and how being a 'healthcare professional' does not qualify you to do them. 

    Nb. This original denial led to me being forced off legacy benefits and into Universal credit which has left me hundreds if pounds worse off, and cause a whole load of problems which I'm sure are better described in another post. 

    MR upheld the 0ppint descision.  Went to tribunal. Before appeal received a phone call saying he was awarded a total of 24 points 14 daily living and 10 mobility and that would end my appeal. Both myself and my daughter have assessments with serco in a few weeks, I'll come back with how they went...pip and a UC wca...
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      A. N. Selman-Jordan · 2 days ago
      @Jade Lol@ futuristic unmanned bus service.  No wonder the Tribunal Judges award more than half the cases at Tribunal! I had one asking me a million questions about driving...even though I do I haven't driven where I live in over 10 years and I have never owned a car......I have a licence but I got that when I was 18 over 20 years ago when I was supported by my parents in another country! In the end I had a complete hyperventilating breakdown probably due to the fact that I'm now diagnosed as autistic which explains the anxiety over someone not understanding me and me not understanding them over the phone. I got my autism diagnosis at age 42 and I had the assessment at age 39. Another telephone assessment due next week. It's never-ending but as long as I can, I will fight for my rights in court until they change this farce and waste of money, especially on behalf of the rights of those who can't face the fight.
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    Jet · 11 days ago
    I eventually had my PIP review after 50 weeks of them receiving my paperwork back.  The assessment was done as a telephone assessment by ISA. I should have had it 2 weeks earlier, but ironically the assessor was sick, but didn't find out this until after 1/2 hour waiting for them to ring.
    The lady I spoke to was a nurse and very to the point, she would not let my daughter speak for me when I got flustered and upset (apparently this didn't happen). My brain kept going blank which happens with my fibro and various other disabilities I have. The assessment took 1hr and 48 minutes, we did record it on phone again.  I was very frank with the assessor and told her about the horrendous experience I had the first and 2nd time I had put a claim for PIP in.  She was very structured and clearly told me she was using multiple reports from WCA and the 2 previous PIP assessments.  At the end she told me she would be typing it up and sending straight through to DWP.  Also at end my daughter asked her if she was allowed to speak now, especially has she had told her off when she thought she was, but I clearly told her she was speaking to me because I was flustered. She did let her and did ask me if I could clarify it was true, which I did.
    Anyway, 45 minutes after it had finished I got a text from DWP to say they had received it and it would take 6 to 8 weeks to process.  I had the Assessment on the Monday and had a text on that Friday to say they had made a decision but do not ring up as they would not tell me anything.  But I waited until 9am and rang, because after ringing before I know as you go through the various hoops to get to speak to someone they tell you when your next payment is and for how much, which they don't tell you.  After waiting they dud this and I heard that I was getting more than I did before, which was only standard living.  To be honest I missed the full amount as I was shocked what I heard. I carried on until I got to speak to someone because I wanted a copy of the report anyway, but I also asked what they had given me, and he gladly told me.  They had given me standard living but also enhanced mobility, which I knew I needed.  But what they didn't tell me was that the Assessor had requested that the enhanced mobility part had been backdated to the day they requested the review and I found this out at 3am in the morning when I couldn't sleep and had a bank notification, quite honestly I did a silent scream.
    The report came and she end actually put down word for word what I had said even the points about previous assessments.  There were points that she had given me where I thought she should have given me more, but after all the time I had waited I didn't have the energy to challenge and due to my massive mobility issues and the mobility award I was happy.
    One think to note, when I was speaking to someone from IAS, when it was cancelled, they clearly told me it was in their best interest to get these done as soon as possible has they don't get paid until they do, and they had only had my information for 6 weeks and they text me when they received it.  So DWP  hang on to them for a long time before they decide if you need an assessment or not.  Unfortunately I have the award until 2027 but will request another review in 2026 so have about a year stress free in that regard.
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    James · 11 days ago
    I love in Scotland and have had several assessments for PIp prior to changing to ADP.
    At one interrogation I was asked to pick up a pound coin and then asked to jump up onto a bed. 
    I surrender from degenerative arthritis in my lower back which causes me lots of pain, I refused to comply with this request and when the assessor asked me why I told her that it was very painful. 
     The people doing the assessments know nothing about the medical conditions that people have yet they lord over people as if they did, I was lucky as at my last assessment the person  asking me actually knew and worked with the consultant that deals with me on a regular basis.
    I think that the job of assessing people for wca and pip should be left to the NHS consultants who deal with people every day as they are the ones who can give an honest answer to a person's ability to work  , this would also bring much needed money into the NHS .
    I am now on ADP for an indefinite period of time, the Scottish Social Security seem to be more helpful with people who are ill.
    No matter what Government is in power  they always see the sick and infirm as target's and anything they can do to cut the financial help we get they will do.
    Perhaps they should be targeting the millionaires who are avoiding paying tax.
    Sick people also have votes which can be used to oust a Government as the Tory party found out, when we were able to work we all contributed to the system thinking that if anything were to happen to us we would be looked after by the state, but it's more like pay your dues and do one, we as a country seem to do our worst to our sick and elderly but see red if another country does the same thing. 
    It's a true saying that Life doesn't matter only money does.
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    CaroA · 11 days ago
    I have a large box full of records regarding my disability benefits. I can't start to look through them without shaking.  I don't feel well enough to rake through this it feels too much.  All I know is I've had some terrible and misleading assessments throughout the years so much so that I have absolutely no trust in any of the providers. 
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      A. N. Selman-Jordan · 2 days ago
      @CaroA I don't know if you have a social worker or a Citizens advice near you. take the box to them and get them to help you sort through it. I have a support group who will do this with me and when I was really unwell and living in a temporary B & B, my homelessness support worker would do it with me and attend DWP appointments with me. I have over 200 pages of evidence and the DWP is legally obliged to consider all of that evidence before deciding to change my PIP!!
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      Maria Nelson · 11 days ago
      @CaroA I’m exactly the same re papers,  and basically my assessment keeps getting put back ie they state they will give me pip for another year, but that they might assess me during this time and things might change. I have degenerative discs and digging around hundreds of papers when ever they feel like they want to do it is stressfull
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    Kempy · 12 days ago
    Got through to IAS with no problem & managed to change telephone assessment from 9am to an earlier date at 1pm. Maximus then took over - I had a reminder text & a reminder phone call & they also rang me 2 hours early to see if their assessor could ring me any earlier. The assessor was an ex-paramedic & was very patient & had a lovely calm & friendly manner. The whole assessment including introduction & final closing info was 1.5 hours. 
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    diceman24 · 15 days ago
    Looking more likely that the government is not bringing in the pip voucher scheme has the charity motorablilty scheme are has today still taking new clients for the vehicle scheme I’m sure seeing that the scheme deals with well over 600k people they surely would know something let’s keep are fingers crossed and hopefully won’t be has bad has a lot of us thought. Stay safe everyone 
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    Jon · 15 days ago
    Got the dreaded migration letter today ESA to uc not to worried hopefully I won't be worse off
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      Jon · 14 days ago
      @James h Yes will let you know am going to job centre in two weeks to see if I need to show identification and use computers
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      James h · 14 days ago
      @Jon @jon oh no John how bad luck is that to be called in first?😒please let us know your experience of the process
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    tom, · 16 days ago
    My Experience of Maxifarce ESA WCA's is not good at all  Several of their assessors lied in their reports, And even used the fact that i had attended the face to face interrogation against me, Audio recording didn't stop them lying in their reports, I was eventually Successful in getting SG award following a  home audio recorded  visit WCA,

    Capita (PIP) tried it on by arranging a F2F Assessment at a location that would have taken me over 1hr to travel to using public transport, which they changed twice to a nearer venue. But it was still 40+ mins, and was a long walk from the nearest bus stop, ( i was claiming for mobility )  as they had stopped home visits i had a telephone  assessment (recorded) And got a  nil award,
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    Citizen · 16 days ago
    All of them lie, you can get through on the phone after many hours and then they may just hang up, you can change the date of the assessment once but if you tell the that you cannot do mornings or afternoons they will 100x give you the opposite of what you need, letters are not clear, even when you ask for bigger font's they give you smaller, assessors are courteous but they lie when you can't hear or see when writing about you, assessors lie.

    I have had many assessments, all except one(which was recorded) i scored zero points only to get full or greater award than previously at appeal.


  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    HIMO · 16 days ago
    I think I was one of the lucky ones. I had a telephone assessment with a nurse via Capita and I can honestly say he was so lovely. He really put me at ease. The communication was great. Very Clear.
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    K · 17 days ago
    I’ve had awful experiences with PIP reviews and Capita. On my last review they gave me a face to face appointment some distance away but simply quoted the law about the travelling time allowed to me. I would never have managed it. I wasn’t offered any alternative and if I cancelled I ran the risk of being offered the next appointment in the same place despite there being one nearer. It took my GP to intervene and tell them it was inappropriate and they agreed to a home visit……and didn’t turn up. 
    I was so distressed by the whole process I was put under the care of the crisis team. In the end my MP intervened and my review was decided on paper. PIP reviews should not result in extreme distress.

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