About us
The Health Assessment Advisory Service arranges and carries out assessments for the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).
The purpose of the assessment is to understand how an illness or disability affects a person’s daily life.
After the assessment, DWP makes the decision as to whether the individual will receive any benefits based on:
- Information provided by the customer including any relevant evidence from treating healthcare professionals, carers and anyone involved in their care
- Any evidence gathered by the Health Assessment Advisory Service before the assessment
- Relevant evidence provided at the assessment by the customer, their appointee or companion
- Any relevant evidence held by DWP that was not available to the Functional Assessor at the time of the assessment
The Health Assessment Advisory Service is delivered on behalf of DWP by Serco in South-West and South Central England. We deliver
assessments in partnership with two delivery partners.
Benefits we assess
- Personal Independence Payment (PIP) assessments
- Work Capability Assessments for Universal Credit (UC)
- Work Capability Assessments for Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
- Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit (IIDB) assessments
- Veterans UK assessments
How we provide assessments
Assessments are provided in accordance with guidance set out by DWP. These are available on www.gov.uk below.
- Work Capability Assessment Handbook for Universal Credit (UC) and Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
- Personal Independence Payment Assessment Guide (PIPAG) – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
- Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit: Overview – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
- Veterans UK – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
What to expect
DWP has produced a number of videos to help you understand the assessment process. These are available on YouTube:
Work Capability Assessments. (youtube.com)
PIP video 3 – What you can expect at a PIP assessment (BSL version here)
If you have any questions about the assessment processes, please contact us.
Customer Charter
In partnership with other Health Assessment Advisory Service providers and DWP, we have agreed a joint Customer Charter which sets out our commitments to you.
Getting it right
We will:
- follow the guidance set out by DWP
- prepare for your assessment by reading your claim form and gathering information, if required, to do a fair assessment
- put things right if we make a mistake
Listening to you
We will:
- actively engage with you and customer representative groups to get your feedback and explain any changes that have been made as a result
- work with external groups to deepen our understanding of different conditions
- use feedback to improve how we do things
- explain clearly how to share feedback or make a complaint
Being respectful
We will:
- act professionally and with compassion
- protect your personal information
- treat you as an individual and respect your needs
Meeting your needs
We will:
- provide clear and accessible information on our website about our service
- share details of your appointment in advance, including what to bring and who can accompany you
- explain clearly how to contact us and offer different ways to get in touch
- offer reasonable adjustments, which have been agreed by DWP, to meet your needs
In return, we need you to
- treat our staff with respect
- be on time for your appointment
- tell us if you want your assessment recorded
- share with us how your condition impacts your daily life
- ask if you need help to understand the information provided
- tell us when we have done something well or not