The Government have no immediate plans to let Employment and Support Allowance claimants know they have right to have their medical assessment interviews recorded, Employment Minister Chris Grayling revealed yesterday (16 July 2012).
He was pressed by an MP – Labour's Stephen Timms – to up the ante on recording of interviews by making sure that ESA claim forms contained a clear statement that claimants are able to request that the interview be recorded. He refused.
In a written question, Mr Timms asked the Work and Pensions Secretary “if he will ensure that Employment and Support Allowance claim forms make clear to claimants that they are able to request a recording of their work capability assessment”.
Mr Grayling replied:
We currently have no plans to include this information in the ESA50 form.
Mr Timms and Labour's welfare guru Frank Field MP have started to get the bit between their teeth on this issue. See our earlier story.