Incapacity Benefit - make better claims

When you first make a claim for incapacity benefit you may be subject to the Own Occupation Test if you have been working recently. This simply involves getting sick notes from your GP.

The Personal Capability Assessment (PCA)
However, after 28 weeks, or from the outset of your claim for incapacity benefit if you haven't worked recently, you will become subject to the Personal Capability Assessment. (PCA). Once it applies to you, it is no longer up to your doctor to decide whether you are incapable of work. Instead, it is up to a decision maker at the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to decide whether you pass the PCA and are thus legally considered to be incapable of work for incapacity benefit purposes.

The PCA consists of several possible stages.

The questionnaire
Completing the IB50 incapacity benefit questionnaire in as much detail as possible and enclosing supporting evidence can increase the chances of your being found incapable of work without having to have a medical. The Benefits and Work 40+ page guides to incapacity benefit claims on mental health and physical health grounds take you page by page through the questionnaire explaining what evidence you need to give in each box and giving sample answers.

We also explain the value of supporting evidence and how to obtain it.

Download sample pages from our guide to Incapacity Benefit Claims on Physical Health Grounds.

Download sample pages from our guide to Incapacity Benefit Claims on Mental Health Grounds.

The Med4
In most cases, when you fill in your first questionnaire, you will also be asked to get a certificate called a Med4 from your GP. Although it's only a very short certificate, what your GP writes on it can make an enormous difference to your incapacity benefit claim, including affecting whether you need to have a medical and whether you can be found exempt from the PCA.

Unfortunately, most doctors have never had so much as a days' training in completing sickness certificates. Our guides explain what the Med4 is for and what you need to discuss with the doctor before they complete it.

The IB113 form
Your GP may also be sent a form IB113 to complete if the DWP think you might be exempt from the PCA. We explain when this is likely to be sent and what your GP needs to know about from you before they complete it..

Find out more about how to improve your incapacity benefit claim by becoming a Benefits and Work member.

Members of Benefits and Work can download all our incapacity benefits claims resources.