Work Capability Assessment (WCA)

Overview

What is a Work Capability Assessment (WCA)?

Visit GOV.UK for more information on Universal Credit (UC) or Employment and Support Allowance (ESA).

If you apply to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) for UC or ESA, you may be asked to complete a ‘Capability for work’ (UC50/ESA50) form.

You should include supporting documents if you have them – for example, prescription lists, care plans, or information from your doctor or others involved in your care.

Please note that any evidence submitted as part of an application for Personal Independence Payment (PIP) will not be available for your Work Capability Assessment (WCA). If you wish evidence, including your PIP assessment report to be considered, please send it with your supporting documents.

DWP may ask the Health Assessment Advisory Service (HAAS) to complete a WCA as part of your claim.

If you live in South West or South Central England, you may be referred to Serco for an assessment. A qualified healthcare professional will review your form and the evidence you provide. We may also ask you or a treating healthcare professional to give us further evidence.

Where possible, we will provide a paper-based review of your application to DWP.

You may be asked to have an assessment about your claim if more information is needed. This assessment may be face-to-face at one of our Assessment Centres, a telephone assessment or an assessment by video.

The assessment is a conversation between you and one of our qualified health professionals. They will ask you how your health condition or disability affects your day-to-day life.

The information you provide to our assessor will help DWP better understand your capability for work so they can make a decision on your claim.

On YouTube there are series of videos about the WCA process produced by DWP.

Before your assessment

If you are invited to have an assessment you will get a letter telling you the date and time of the assessment and what information you need to have with you for your appointment.

It will also tell you whether it will be on the phone, face-to-face at an Assessment Centre, or by video call. If your assessment takes place at an Assessment Centre, your letter will include details of the location and how to get there.

Visit our types of assessment page to find out more about telephone, face-to-face and video assessments.

If you need help before your appointment, you can call Serco on 0800 072 0257 between 8am and 8pm, Monday to Friday and 9am to 5pm on Saturday. Visit our Getting in touch to see more options on how to contact Serco.

Tell us as soon as possible if:

You need to rearrange your assessment. You can only change your appointment once
You would like to discuss changing the method of assessment
You would like your face-to-face assessment recorded
You need an interpreter (including British Sign Language)
You need extra help with communication or any other reasonable adjustment
You require to see a health professional of the same sex
You have changed your address or telephone number
You have any other questions or concerns

We encourage you to bring a family member, friend or support worker to your assessment. They must be aged over 16 and you should not bring children to your appointment. If you have concerns about childcare, please contact Serco in advance if you wish to discuss alternative methods of completing your assessment.

If you would like your family member, friend or support worker to be included in a telephone assessment, we will ask you for a contact number and you will need to make sure they are ready to answer the phone at the time of the assessment.

Please note that if your family member, friend or support worker is providing interpretation services, they must be over 16 years old.

On the day of your assessment

Our goal is to ensure you feel as comfortable as possible throughout this process. We are here to help and answer any questions you may have.

Your assessment will be carried out by one of our qualified health professionals who will ask you about your health condition or disability and how it affects your day-to-day life.

The health professional may be a doctor, nurse, physiotherapist or occupational therapist. All health professionals have post qualification experience and are registered with their governing body. This is either the General Medical Council (GMC), Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) or the Health and Care Professionals Council (HCPC).

You can tell them in your own way how your health condition or disability affects you. Anyone who attends your assessment with you can help you to explain this if necessary, although we would like to hear directly from you.

The assessment can take approximately 20 minutes to one hour, but there is no set time. During this time, our assessor will listen carefully and take notes. You can also ask any questions you have.

You can record your assessment on your own device in accordance with guidance available on GOV.UK in the Work Capability Assessment Handbook.

After your assessment

After your assessment, the health professional will write a report. This report will include the information you shared about how your health condition or disability affects your daily life.

The report is sent to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to help them make a decision about your UC or ESA claim.

The health professional who carried out your assessment does not make any decision on your UC or ESA claim and may not know the outcome of your application.

Once the DWP has come to a decision about your claim, they will contact you by letter to let you know the outcome.

Providing feedback

If you would like to give feedback on your assessment or would like information in an alternative format, you can contact Serco.

By telephone:

Serco WCA and Specialist Benefits Helpline:

Telephone: 0800 072 0257
If you cannot hear or speak on the phone, please call 18001 then 0800 072 0257. This service is provided by Relay UK.
Monday to Friday, 8am to 8pm
Saturday, 9am to 5pm

By post:

PO Box 668
Bristol
BS34 8YU

For guidance on providing comments, feedback and complaints, you can download a PDF of the Serco WCA and Specialist Benefits Feedback Form.