Scottish Government request for welfare reform data

In a role funded by the Scottish Government, public health practitioner Kate Burton is supporting NHS boards to mitigate the impact of welfare reform on health and the NHS. She is collecting data from advice services on:

• the number of people you have supported who opt to claim Jobseekers Allowance while waiting for the outcome of their request for mandatory reconsideration of an Employment and Support Allowance decision.
• the main health condition of those affected (eg mental health, problem substance misuse or long-term health condition such as cancer or heart disease)
• how many of these people are sanctioned
• case studies illustrating impact of mandatory reconsideration process

This data is currently unavailable from DWP and it is acknowledged that requesting information in this manner does not make that data terribly robust. However it is important to get an initial indication of numbers affected and through case studies understand the impact on claimants’ lives. The information gathered will be used by the Scottish Government in discussions with DWP and as part of the submission to the next Work Capability Assessment review being carried out by Paul Litchfield. Previous reviews can be accessed here. Please send data and case studies to Kate Burton by Friday 23 May on kate.burton@nhslothian.scot.nhs.uk. Kate Burton Public Health Practitioner Edinburgh Community Health Partnership Canaan Park Astley Ainslie Hospital 133 Grange Loan Edinburgh EH9 2HL 0131 537 (4) 9326