Department for Work and Pensions: Autism
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether autistic people with lived experience of claiming benefits were directly involved in the design, testing or delivery of the Department's autism-related training for staff; and if he will publish details of the organisations and individuals consulted.
Answered by Department for Work and Pensions
All assessment suppliers are required to ensure that their health professionals (HPs) carrying out assessments have training and knowledge of the clinical aspects and likely functional effects of a wide range of health conditions and impairments.
From 9 September 2024 the educational material for all Health Assessment Advisory Service HPs has been provided by DWP. As part of our review, we identified best practice in the NHS and have implemented the Oliver McGowan training, which is fully supported by autistic people with lived experience, as part of the mandatory training requirements for every HP. This training is recognised to be of significant value to HPs in ensuring they have the skills and knowledge to provide safe, informed, and compassionate assessments to claimants with autism and learning disabilities.
In addition, HPs have access to a wide range of Core Training and Guidance Materials (CTGM). These resources offer detailed clinical and functional information, including the potential risks and limitations of a range of conditions, including autism, to support HPs in delivering informed assessments. Following the transfer of responsibilities to DWP in September 2024, all training and guidance materials are currently undergoing a comprehensive review and update. A newly established team is leading this work, ensuring that all materials are aligned with national best practice standards. To support this, independent clinical experts are being engaged to provide external quality assurance, helping to ensure the accuracy, relevance, and consistency of the content.
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