Benefits and Work has obtained a list of the conditions being targeted in the Right Payment Programme under which checks are made on claimants’ awards of DLA.
Under the Right Payment Programme claimants already in receipt of DLA have their award looked at again. Initially this is by being sent an enquiry form to complete. In some cases medical evidence may also be collected and a home visit may also take place.12,000 of these checks take place each year. Of these, 3,750 are on claimants chosen at random. The other 8,250 claimants, however, are now selected from specific groups. Benefits and Work, using the Freedom of Information Act, has obtained a list of the groups who are now being targeted because, according to the DWP, they are the groups most likely to be subject to changes in entitlement.
The targets are people with the following conditions:
- Arthritis
- Spondylosis
- Back pain
- Muscles, bones, joints
- Heart disease
- Chest disease
- Strokes
- Psychosis/psychoneurosis
In addition, indefinite awards where there has been no check or change since 1992 are also being spot checked.
However, claimants can take some comfort from a claim by the DWP that from April to November 2008 86% of cases checked under RPP were left unchanged, 10% resulted in an increase in award and only 4% were reduced.
