Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average waiting time is for existing claimants awaiting a work capability reassessment; and what steps he is taking to reduce that time.

Demand for initial Work Capability Assessment (WCA) assessments has risen so we continue to prioritise initial claims. This enables us to ensure that claimants receive the right level of benefit, and we establish capability for work at the outset of a claim.

The department is taking a number of steps to increase the capacity of the Health Assessment Advisory Service to deliver WCAs, including reassessments for existing Universal Credit (UC) claimants. This includes the recruitment and training of additional healthcare professionals across all assessment suppliers, alongside improvements to workforce planning to better align available resources with demand. The department continues to monitor assessment volumes closely and works with suppliers to ensure sufficient capacity is in place to reduce waiting times and support timely reassessment activity.

The department prioritises WCAs for new claims in order to minimise waiting times and ensure that individuals receive the correct benefit entitlement as early as possible. We recognise that some existing claimants may experience delays when awaiting reassessment and continue to keep the impact of these arrangements under review while taking steps to improve overall assessment capacity and reduce waiting times.

As of 1st October 2026, the average waiting time for a WCA reassessment was 272 working days. Claimants awaiting reassessment continue to receive their existing rate of benefit in the meantime. Where a reassessment results in entitlement to a higher rate of benefit, any increase due will be backdated in line with the date entitlement arose.

Please Note

• Figure has been rounded to the nearest whole number.
• Information on the average waiting time for existing claimants awaiting a WCA reassessment is derived from unpublished management information produced by assessment suppliers for internal departmental use and is not routinely published as official statistics.