The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has confirmed that existing benefit claimants are waiting an average of more than a year for a Work Capability Assessment (WCA) reassessment. New figures show the average waiting time was 272 working days as of October 1, 2026.
This is equivalent to 54.4 working weeks, or approximately 12 and a half calendar months, based on a standard five-day working week. The figures were confirmed by Minister for Social Security and Disability Sir Stephen Timms in response to a written parliamentary question from Liberal Democrat MP Lisa Smart.
The MP for Hazel Grove asked the DWP to provide the average waiting time for existing benefit claimants awaiting reassessment and outline the steps being taken to reduce delays.
Prioritising initial assessments
In his written response published on October 22, Sir Stephen confirmed the department is prioritising initial Work Capability Assessments because of increased demand. He said: "Demand for initial Work Capability Assessment (WCA) assessments has risen so we continue to prioritise initial claims."
The minister added: "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."
Payments during reassessment delays
The DWP confirmed existing claimants will continue receiving their current rate of benefit while waiting for reassessment. Sir Stephen said: "As of 1st October 2026, the average waiting time for a WCA reassessment was 272 working days."
He added: "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."
This means people awaiting reassessment should continue receiving their existing benefit payments during the delay. If a reassessment results in an increased award, the DWP has confirmed any additional entitlement due will be backdated according to when that entitlement arose. However, the department has not stated that every claimant waiting for reassessment will receive a backdated payment.
Steps to reduce waiting times
The DWP said it is recruiting and training additional healthcare professionals across assessment suppliers to increase the number of Work Capability Assessments being completed. It is also making changes to workforce planning to better match available resources with demand.
Sir Stephen said: "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."
He added: "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 minister acknowledged existing claimants may face delays while initial assessments continue to take priority. He said: "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."
In a separate written parliamentary response published on October 19, Sir Stephen confirmed reassessment referrals are processed in date order and paper-based assessments are the default approach. The minister also confirmed contractual turnaround-time targets have been suspended after assessment volumes exceeded forecasts.
What is a Work Capability Assessment?
A Work Capability Assessment is used to help determine whether someone has limited capability for work because of a health condition or disability. For Universal Credit, an assessment can result in a decision that someone is fit for work, has limited capability for work (LCW), or has limited capability for work and work-related activity (LCWRA).
People placed in the LCWRA group may qualify for an additional amount of Universal Credit, depending on their circumstances and the rules applying to their claim. Claimants can find further information about Universal Credit if they have a health condition or disability on GOV.UK.
The DWP said the 272-working-day average is based on unpublished management information supplied by assessment providers and is not routinely published as official statistics. It added the figure has been rounded to the nearest whole working day and represents an average rather than a guaranteed waiting time for individual claimants.
