CHARITIES have expressed their concern at the “particularly negative” effect of the Work Capability Assessment on people with mental health issues.

The criticism comes from a local mental health charity and the county’s Citizens Advice Bureau after the Cambrian News obtained figures which revealed Aberystwyth tribunal service overturned 63 per cent of decisions to strip disabled people of Employment and Support Allowance last year.

A Ceredigion CAB spokesperson said the Department for Work and Pensions had introduced a ‘mandatory reconsideration’ stage which has to take place before an appeal can be lodged with the tribunal service, but is a stage which has no set time-scale for the DWP.

During this stage, the CAB spokesperson added that the claimant’s ESA stops and they must then claim Job Seekers’ Allowance, often incurring sanctions because they are unable to meet the strict requirements.

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