About us
About the Health Assessment Advisory Service
The Health Assessment Advisory Service carries out assessments on behalf of the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). The assessment aims to find out how an illness or disability affects a person’s daily life.
After the assessment, DWP will make a decision on whether the individual is entitled to benefits.
Medacs, Premex and Salus deliver some assessments on behalf of Maximus in Northern England and Scotland.
About Maximus
Maximus has been helping the government transform lives since 1975, specialising in helping people find employment in their community.
We have delivered the Health Assessment Advisory Service since 2015. To do this we employ more than 1,200 health professionals, who have at least one years’ experience after gaining their qualification. They are also registered with their respective medical body.
Maximus is responsible for:
- Recruiting and training health professionals
- Checking medical evidence provided by a customer before inviting them to an assessment
- Requesting medical evidence from GPs or other clinicians, which may prevent a customer having to attend an assessment
- Booking appointments for assessments
- Carrying out assessments
- Providing DWP with a report following an assessment. This may be after an initial review or may follow an assessment.
The Department for Work and Pensions is responsible for:
- Designing and developing the format and criteria for assessments
- Reviewing all evidence presented by an individual, which can include our assessment report
- Setting targets for the Health Assessment Advisory Service’s quality and service
- Monitoring service delivery against contractual requirements
- Authorising assessment protocols used.
UK Government is responsible for:
- Welfare reform and other benefit-related policies
- Legislation that sets out the criteria used in assessments.