Step by step advice leading up to, during and after your telephone assessment
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If you’re applying for Universal Credit (UC) you will be sent a capability for work questionnaire, also known as an UC50 form. It’s important that you complete the form as fully as possible, answering all of the questions.
Please make sure you return the form by the date on the letter you are sent. We will use the information you provide on the form to decide if you need an assessment or not.
You may also download the UC50 form to your computer. If you use the online form, fill it out, print it, sign it and return it to DWP.
Appointment arrangements
We’ll send a letter with your assessment date. Your appointment letter will have a contact number and information about the assessment. Please read this letter before your assessment.
What happens with your support before your assessment
Whilst you are waiting for your assessment to be completed you will receive the standard rate of Universal Credit and will need to continue attending the Jobcentre as agreed with your Work Coach.
Please note there are different factors taking into consideration which may impact your benefit entitlement. For more information go to gov.uk.
If you cannot return the form in time, let us know as soon as possible. There is also a box that allows you to explain why your form was late. If you have any concerns at all about the form, it’s important that you contact us as soon as you can or ask a representative to contact us.
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) may not be able to continue to pay you benefits if we don’t receive this form in time.
You can find more information about Universal Credit on the Gov.uk website.
Interpreters
Please let us know at least two days before your assessment if you need a language or BSL interpreter for your assessment. This will help to make sure that we can have an interpreter available for you.
Further evidence
You need to send in any medical evidence or other information you might already have, such as reports, care or treatment plans about you from GPs, hospital doctors, specialist nurses, community psychiatric nurses, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, social workers, support workers, learning disability support team, counsellors or carers.
Your UC50 form may ask for details of the professionals or carers who know the most about your health conditions, illnesses and disabilities select the list below to see what these might be:
Remember – only send us copies of medical or other information if you already have them. Don’t ask or pay for new information or send us original documents. Please write your National Insurance number on each piece of information you send to us.
If you haven’t yet received a UC50 form, it might be easier for you if you start to gather some of your medical information in advance. This form allows us to decide if you will need a face-to-face assessment.
A registered and qualified healthcare professional will carry out your Work Capability Assessment. They will discuss your capability to do daily tasks with your disability, illness or health condition.
The healthcare professional will ask you questions and note down your answers. The telephone assessment should last between 20 minutes and 1 hour but could take longer if necessary.
What to have with you:
- Proof of identity
- Details of any medication you may be taking
- Any information from your general practitioner (GP) or specialist which explains how your condition affects you.
The assessment questions may include:
- when your illness or disability started
- how your condition changes from day-to-day
- how it affects your daily life
- how it affects your mood and the way you behave
- how you cope with things from day-to-day
The healthcare professional will record information about your pain, fatigue, and the medication you take.
Bringing a companion to your assessment
You are welcome to bring a relative, carer or friend with you. Although the assessment will focus on you, a companion can offer useful support to you. This would usually be the person who knows you best and understands you and your needs. For example, this may be a relative, support worker or friend but they must be 16 years old or over.
The healthcare professional will introduce themselves and explain the assessment to you. They will record information on a computer. Some questions may not relate directly to your medical condition, but to daily activities.
Taking notes
You or your companion are welcome to take notes for your personal use. Your notes will not form part of the report that we send to the DWP.
After your assessment our healthcare professional completes a report using criteria laid out by the DWP. This is to provide the DWP decision maker with an impartial, justified medical opinion about how you are affected by your medical condition.
The assessment report will describe your medical conditions and the activities you undertake in a typical day. It will also have the healthcare professional’s observations, and the results of any physical examination undertaken.
The report is one piece of information DWP uses in deciding your entitlement. The healthcare professional who carries out your assessment does not make any decision about your allowance, benefit or credits and they will not know the outcome of your claim.
You may request a copy of the full report from DWP office handling your claim.
Decisions on claims
DWP makes decisions on claims and will let you know the outcome of your claim – please direct any questions or concerns about the outcome to the DWP office handling your claim. They will know what information they have used to decide your entitlement. Capita will not be aware of this as we have no decision-making role.
Further information
If you have questions, contact the DWP office handling your claim. The office number will be on letters you have received about your claim.
For Universal Credit you should use your Journal to contact DWP.
