Below you will find a list of questions that you may be asked during your Work Capability Assessment. It is unlikely that you will actually be asked all of them.
When you look at each question consider what they are assessing, and consider what your thorough answer will be.
They will be looking to make judgements on:
- how much the activity in the question requires you to walk.
- whether you might need to go up or down stairs for the activity.
- whether you may have to reach your arms to perform the activity.
- what kind of weight you can lift.
- how much manual dexterity is required.
- how well you cope in social situations.
- how well you communicate with other people.
- how well you understand other people.
- how safe you are when unattended.
- whether continence problems restrict your abilities.
- how good your cognitive skills are.
- how well you cope with change to routine.
- how well you cope with unexpected changes.
It's very easy to give yes and no answers, but doing so does not give the assessor a proper picture of your situation, and is more than likely to lead to scoring zero points, and therefore not succeeding in your application for Employment & Support Allowance.
A couple of examples of thorough answers:
Question: Do you use the wheelchair every day?
Bad Answer: No.
Thorough Answer: No, because I am usually in too much pain to get out of bed. And my partner cannot push the wheelchair, so I can only go out if we have another person to push it. I do always use it to go out.
Question: Who helps you with the depression? Are you under a psychiatrist or a GP?
Bad Answer: GP. (Atos, in their wisdom, assess any condition for which you do not see a specialist, as less severe than if you do see a specialist).
Thorough Answer: I see my GP fortnightly at the moment because we're changing my anti-depressant medication. I'm on the waiting list to see a counsellor because my GP is very worried about my state of mind.
Question: Do you live in a house or a bungalow?
Bad Answer: A house.
Thorough Answer: I live in a three story house, but I only use two rooms. When I have to I go downstairs on my bottom, and crawl up the stairs, pausing for breaks usually twice.
Asks who diagnosed the problems and whether I was under a specialist or just a GP?
Do you use the wheelchair every day?
Do you use the wheelchair indoors?
Are you able to propel the wheelchair yourself?
How long have you had depression?
Does your mood vary?
Do you have good weeks and bad weeks with this?
Would you say that you are mostly down then?
Who helps you with the depression? Are you under a psychiatrist or a GP?
Do you drink alcohol?
Have you ever self harmed or attempted suicide?
Do you get suicidal thoughts now?
How long have you had IBS?
What symptoms do you get with the IBS?
Do you get to the toilet in time?
Do you have to wear incontinence pads?
Have you brought a list of your medication?
Goes through all medications I’m taking.
Do you get any side effects with what you are taking?
How did you get here today?
How long did that take you from your house?
Who has accompanied you today?
Who lives in your house with you?
Is it a house or bungalow?
When did you last work?
And you’re not studying or working at the moment?
What is your sleep pattern like?
Do you find you get a disturbed sleep?
Is this due to not being able to switch off or pain?
What time do you normally get up in the morning?
Does your son get himself up and ready now he is older?
How do you manage to get washed and dressed?
Have you got a shower or bath?
Can you wash your hair?
How much assistance do you need to get dressed?
Can you pull your top over your head?
Can you manage buttons?
Do you have assistance with getting your lower garments on?
Have you got a stair lift?
Have you a bathroom upstairs as well as downstairs?
Have you a toilet downstairs?
How do you manage in the kitchen making yourself tea and coffee and snacks?
Can you manage to make yourself a cup of tea?
When did you last make yourself a cup of tea?
Who see’s to the housework?
Do you do any housework?
Do you drive at all?
When did you last drive?
What stopped you driving?
What was the cause of the blackout?
Were you unconscious during the blackout?
These episodes of vagueness you’ve had since then do you go unconscious or is it just your speech is affected?
Where do you go to do your shopping normally?
Do you have assistance to go around the house?
How many minutes can you walk for?
Do you walk outside?
Have you any hobbies or interests?
What do you do during the day?
How far away do you live (this is directed to my father)?
How often do you come and visit (again this is directed to my father)?
Do both your parents come every day?
How do you get to your father’s house?
Does your son make his own way home from school?
What’s your routine in the evening what do you tend to do?
Does your son help you with the evening meal?
Does your son come with you to your parent’s house?
Have you got friends locally that pop in and visit?
Have you got any other family members that come to visit?
Do you keep in touch with other family members on the phone?
How far is the GP surgery from you?
Are you OK making appointments with them when you need to?
Do you have to phone them in the morning?
Do you wear glasses all the time?
Do you wear any hearing aids?
Now she checks limb movements.
Are you able to look up to the ceiling for me?
Are you able to look down to the floor?
Are you able to look over to your father and then look the other way towards the filing cabinet?
Are your neck movements OK?
Can you bring your ear down to each shoulder?
Can you bring your arms out straight?
Turn your arms over and then back again?
Can you bring your arms up to your shoulders?
Can you bring your arm up and behind your head?
Where’s the pain when you do that?
Have you got pins and needles in this hand at the moment?
Can you close your eyes I’m going to get a tissue and touch different parts of your hand and you tell me when you can feel it?
Can you stand up and do a forward flex?
Where would that hurt you?
Could you squat to pick something up off the floor?
Are you able to get on the couch to do some limb movements? Or do you wish to do them in the chair?
Would you be able to get on the couch or would you find it difficult?
Can you bend your left knee and bring it up to your chest?
What pain does that cause you?
Can you straighten you leg and bring it up?
Where does that hurt you?
Can you do the same with the right leg?
Can you get your arm behind your back at all?
What about the other arm?
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