Criticism of the Work Capability Assessment Initially, both the DWP and Atos denied having had any target for getting claimants "off" sickness benefits. However, both eventually admitted that Support Group "norms" were being used nationwide, though they both denied that the purpose of "targeted audit" was to limit the number of claimants placed in the Support Group. Atos said that the audit process triggered by the breach of a "norm" was intended to ensure consistency across the firm's UK team: if the assessor's reports met the DWP's expectations, the healthcare professional would not be asked to change their recommendations. In May 2013, another doctor who had
Criticism of the Work Capability Assessment of policy from 2010 until 2015, declared: "We need to think again about how we assess work capability" because "capability assessors too often have a culture of disbelief about disability, especially mental illness". Parliament's Office of Science and Technology has analysed the WCA's performance; it found that "the number of fit-for-work decisions being overturned on appeal has led to questions about the reliability of the assessment process". Between 2011 and 2013, around 40% of claimants found 'fit for work' appealed to a tribunal and around 40% of those appeals were successful. A 2012 study of 28,000 tribunal hearings analysed the