How does it feel to be assessed? a paper from the Centre for welfare reform, by Chris Akers, November 2016
There is insufficient attention given to the price people pay for having to go through assessments of need within the modern welfare state. What should be a respectful conversation between human beings, in order to help people make the best of their lives, has too often become a fraught and complex process, causing stress and distress to those who must go through it.
Chris Akers useful research is based on two detailed interviews with women who have been through the process of applying for PIP (Personal Independence Payments). As Chris describes, the general fear of assessment now seems to have been worsened by the way the process is interpreted in the light of the Government’s ongoing attack on disability rights.
The research highlights the need to pay particular attention to the role that family and friends have in helping people run the gauntlet of the current system.
