2 April 2012

Mind chief executive resigns from Work Capability Assessment (WCA) review scrutiny panel, arguing that the assessment process “isn’t working”.

What: Paul Farmer, chief executive of mental health charity Mind resigns from the Harrington review’s scrutiny panel, arguing that the WCA process “isn’t working” and that there is “insufficient recognition of the need to change the approach”. In a joint response to the Harrington review in September, leading mental health organisations say that they do not believe that reforms have gone far enough, that people with mental distress continue to report “poor experiences” of the WCA, and that further substantial reforms are still needed.

Why significant: Early recognition of flaws in the WCA system and DWP’s failure to take the necessary steps to make it safe.