A third of ATOS assessment reports are not fit for purpose, according to the DWP’s own quality assurance auditors. In a sample of 1,466 PIP assessments carried out in August 2022, DWP auditors found that:
- 972 reports (66%) were acceptable, which means they met the DWP’s contract requirements
- 138 (9%) of reports met the contract requirements but it was clear from the assessment report that the ATOS assessor ‘required learning’
- 321 (22%) of reports met the contract requirements but ‘required amending’ to improve their accuracy and completeness
- 35 (2%) were found not to even meet the DWP’s contract requirement.
It’s important to note that the DWP’s contract requirements are pretty basic and set a low bar for quality. If a third of reports don’t even meet basic requirements, that’s a shocking indictment of the quality of the assessments carried out by ‘healthcare professionals’ by ATOS.
Remember, the disabled people who had inadequate assessments weren’t told about the quality of the report, and a decision will still have been made on their benefits based entirely or partly on these inadequate reports. It’s no wonder so many disabled people don’t get the PIP they need and are entitled to.
To read the full report (which DWP only released in response to a Freedom of Information request), use this link: https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/medical_reports_quality_control