Experts have raised concerns after new government data revealed the scale of cancelled appointments for crucial disability benefit assessments. The issue affects thousands of people claiming Universal Credit and other support.
Parliamentary Questions Reveal the Scale
The update follows a query in Parliament from SNP MP Chris Law, who asked the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) for details on cancelled Work Capability Assessments (WCAs). These assessments determine how a person's health condition affects their ability to work, directly influencing their benefit entitlement.
DWP minister Stephen Timms provided a response, outlining the situation as of 31 October 2025. He stated that approximately 74,000 new benefit claimants and 40,000 existing claimants were in the queue for WCA appointments with the provider, Maximus.
How Many Appointments Were Cancelled?
Mr Timms provided specific statistics for the period between 9 September 2024 and 31 October 2025. The data shows that cancellations, while described as rare, have impacted a notable number of individuals.
For new claimants:
- 640 experienced one cancelled appointment.
- 60 faced two cancellations.
- 10 had an appointment cancelled more than twice.
For existing claimants:
- 250 endured one cancelled appointment.
- 20 faced two cancellations.
- Fewer than five existing claimants had an appointment cancelled more than twice.
Minister Timms emphasised that very few people booked for an assessment are not seen on their appointed day. He explained that cancellations usually occur due to unforeseen circumstances such as a health professional's unavailability, illness, or delays in receiving a claimant's medical file.
Official Responses from the DWP and Maximus
In his statement, Mr Timms outlined the procedure when a cancellation is unavoidable. He said: "Maximus is required to make every possible effort to ensure the appointment can still go ahead before a cancellation is processed."
He added that if a claimant cannot be seen, Maximus must try to contact them by telephone to apologise and rearrange the appointment.
Assessment provider Maximus also issued a statement addressing the figures. A spokesperson said: "Maximus is committed to delivering a sensitive and respectful service for customers, and we do whatever we can to avoid cancelling appointments."
The company stated that since beginning delivery in 2024, less than 0.4 percent of appointments have been cancelled. They attributed cancellations to rare, unforeseen events like a health professional being unavailable or delays in receiving information from a claimant's GP.
The spokesperson confirmed that when a cancellation does occur, the company endeavours to rebook customers as quickly as possible.
