Health and Disability Assessment Services Framework

Update 21 November 2012

The competition to secure a provider for the Personal Independence Payment assessment process has now been completed for Lot 4 Northern Ireland.

The contract has been awarded to Capita Business Services Ltd.

Update 2 August 2012

Today the Government announces the independent providers for the new assessment for the Personal Independence Payment (PIP).

The providers have been appointed on a regional basis to help ensure a quality service is delivered in a way that best meets local needs.

The PIP assessment competition has now been completed for Great Britain and the preferred bidders for each of the three Lots are:

• Lot 1 – Atos Healthcare
• Lot 2 – Capita Business Services Ltd
• Lot 3 – Atos Healthcare

The recommended supplier for Lot 4 is still to be confirmed through the NISSA approvals process and will be announced later.

PIP is part of the Government’s welfare reform agenda and will replace Disability Living Allowance (DLA) for people of working age (16 to 64) from 8 April 2013.  The new benefit will better reflect today’s understanding of disability which has changed a lot in the two decades since DLA was introduced. 

A core feature of PIP will be a new assessment of individual needs by a trained Health Professional. 

These face-to-face assessments ensure that, unlike in DLA, disabled people will be able to have a detailed discussion about how their impairment affects their everyday lives – rather than having to self-assess themselves though a complicated claim form.

This means that decisions on benefit entitlement will be more accurate, objective and consistent than currently.

Both providers will be working to the same legislative framework, criteria and guidance and DWP will be closely monitoring and auditing assessments to ensure their quality and consistency

Further notes on commercial process

On April 30 the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) announced the ten organisations which had been awarded a place on the Framework to deliver Health and Disability assessments.

This Framework is made up of four regional lots: Lot 1 (Scotland, North East and North West England), Lot 2 (Wales and Central England), Lot 3 (London and Southern England) and Lot 4 (Northern Ireland); plus a national lot, Lot 5. Framework organisations are eligible to bid to deliver the DWP’s future requirements for Health and Disability assessments in the Lots for which they were successful.

On May 2 the DWP invited the organisations in Lots 1 to 4 to tender to deliver the Personal Independence Payment (PIP) Assessment service on behalf of DWP and the Northern Ireland Social Security Agency.

On 21 May a total of 19 bids were submitted from 6 organisations across the four Lots. All bids received were compliant. The formal evaluation of written tenders followed, considering the quality, risk and financial aspects of each bid.

Update 28 May 2012

The procurement exercise has ended. In line with Cabinet Office Guidance contracts information is now available on the Contracts Finder website and includes:

• specification
• draft terms and conditions
• invitation to tender and bidder guidance
• full details of the actual procurement timescales
• final terms and conditions and associated schedules
• winning tenderers’ bids

• Health and Disability Assessment Services on Contracts finder (Contracts Finder – Business Link)

Update 20 April 2012

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has now completed the evaluation of bids submitted for the set up of a Framework Agreement for the provision of Health and Disability Assessment services to support DWP and other contracting authorities including the Department for Social Development in Northern Ireland (www.dsdni.gov.uk) (collectively the "Contracting Authorities").

In line with Public Contracts Regulations 2006 (as amended) standstill rules have been applied and the Department will not enter into any contracts until the 30th of April 2012.

Subject to contract award, post standstill period, successful bidders in each lot are as follows;

Lot 1 – Scotland, NE England, NW England & Isle of Man

• Avanta Enterprises Ltd
• Ingeus Deloitte Limited
• APM UK Ltd
• Capita Group PLC
• Reed in Partnership
• G4S Integrated Services (UK) Ltd
• Atos Origin
• Vertex Ltd

Lot 2 – Wales, Central England

• Avanta Enterprises
• Ingeus Deloitte Limited
• APM UK Ltd
• Capita Group Plc
• G4S Integrated Services (UK) Ltd
• Atos Origin
• Vertex Ltd
• MAXIMUS Employment UK

Lot 3 – London, South England

• Avanta Enterprises Ltd
• Ingeus Deloitte Limited
• APM UK Ltd
• Capita Group Plc
• Reed In Partnership
• G4S Integrated Services (UK) Ltd
• Atos Origin
• Vertex Ltd

Lot 4 – Northern Ireland

• Ingeus Deloitte Limited
• APM UK Ltd
• Capita Group Plc
• G4S Integrated Service UK Ltd
• Atos Origin
• MAXIMUS Employment UK
• Serco Limited

Lot 5 – National (UK)

• Avanta Enterprises Ltd
• Ingeus Deloitte Limited
• Capita Group Plc
• G4S Integrated Services (UK) Ltd
• Atos Origin
• Vertex Ltd
• MAXIMUS Employment UK
• Serco Limited

Update 14 February 2012

The Framework for the provision of Health and Disability Assessment services will support DWP and other contracting authorities including the Department for Social Development in Northern Ireland (www.dsdni.gov.uk) (collectively the “Contracting Authorities”) in carrying out a range of functions, including but not limited to supporting decisions on entitlement to social security benefits, and to support wider requirements which may involve such health assessments as part of business delivery.

These services will likely involve but not be restricted to:

• the consideration of an individual’s circumstances and any health conditions or disabilities they may have;
• assessing individuals against criteria prescribed by the Contracting Authority;
• the delivery of face-to-face assessments to support the above;
• the gathering and consideration of evidence to support the above;
• the interpretation of medical evidence to support the above;
• the provision of information and advice on the above to the Contracting Authority;
• follow up liaison with the Contracting Authority in relation to assessments, including the provision of relevant health professional expertise as required; and
• the administration and management of the service, including the provision of a quality control regime and a query and complaints service for individuals.

The Framework Agreement is divided into the following Lots:

1. North West England / North East England / Scotland / Isle of Man
2. Central England / Wales
3. London / Southern England
4. Northern Ireland
5. United Kingdom (including Northern Ireland) and Isle of Man

DWP used an e-procurement solution throughout this procurement. Potential suppliers needed to register their interest via the following website:

• https://dwp.bravosolution.co.uk

All Invitation to Tender documentation was available for download from that website from 23/01/2012.

The Specification, Invitation letter and Instructions to Bidders remain available for information through Contracts Finder.

Tender timetable

• Invitation to Tender (ItT) available for download – 23/01/12
• Final Date for Receipt of Tenders – Noon 05/03/12
• Framework Agreement Award – 30/04/12

Additional information

Any supplier who has an interest in working with DWP should be aware of the DWP Commissioning approach and adhere to the DWP Code of Conduct. Additional information regarding the Code of Conduct and the Merlin Standard, which has been designed to recognise and promote sustainable excellence within supply chains and provide guidance to those seeking to achieve it, can be found on the DWP website.

Additionally, the Merlin Standard Website provides information about current prime contractors to the Department for Work & Pensions, and includes a facility through which providers can exchange information with other providers, whether you are a prime contractor seeking subcontractors, or a potential subcontractor seeking to engage prime contractors.