The Government has shared some figures showing how widespread the issue is
Experts have issued an alert about Universal Credit and other benefits being impacted by cancellations. The update comes after a previous question in Parliament about Work Capability Assessments (WCA).
These assessments are used to work out how severely a person’s health issues impact their ability to work, to help the DWP decide how much benefits they should get. SNP MP Chris Law asked the DWP how many existing claimants waiting for WCA appointments with provider Maximus had been hit with at least one cancelled assessment, as of the end of October 2025.
He also wanted to know as well as how many people had faced two or more cancellations, and the numbers facing multiple appointment cancellations. DWP minister Stephen Timms delivered a response from the Government.
He said that as of October 31, approximately 74,000 new benefit claimants and 40,000 existing claimants were in the queue for WCA appointments with Maximus. These numbers include all Universal Credit, Employment Support Allowance and Incapacity Benefit claimants awaiting assessment.
Mr Timms said: “These totals also encompass all claimants currently within Maximus’ caseload, including those at the questionnaire stage and those for whom further medical evidence is being gathered.”
A response from Maximus
Now assessment provider Maximus has also issued a statement about the issue. A spokesperson for the group said: “Maximus is committed to delivering a sensitive and respectful service for customers, and we do whatever we can to avoid cancelling appointments.
“Since the start of our delivery in 2024, less than 0.4 percent of appointments have been cancelled.” The group also explained why cancellations can happen.
The provider said: “In the rare event that a cancellation occurs, we endeavour to rebook customers as quickly as possible. Cancellations are usually due to an unforeseen circumstance, such as a health professional being unavailable or a delay in receiving information from a customer’s GP.”
You may get a phone call
In his previous answer to the MP, Mr Timms also said that cancellations are very rare. The minister said: “Very few people who are booked in for an assessment are not seen on the appointed day.
“However, on occasion unforeseen circumstances do arise, such as a claimant’s file has not been received, the health professional is unavailable due to illness, or there is a significant waiting time on the day.” He also outlined what the process is if someone’s assessment gets cancelled.
Mr Timms said: “Maximus is required to make every possible effort to ensure the appointment can still go ahead before a cancellation is processed. If it is anticipated that a claimant cannot be seen on the day of their appointment, or the assessment is delayed, Maximus is required to make every effort to contact the claimant by telephone to apologise and explain the action that will be taken to rearrange the appointment.”
How many assessments have been cancelled?
He also provided statistics revealing how many claimants awaiting their WCA had experienced cancellations between September 9, 2024 and October 31, 2025. The data revealed that 640 new claimants and 250 existing claimants had endured one cancelled appointment.
Meanwhile, 60 new claimants and 20 existing claimants had faced two cancellations, while 10 new claimants had their appointment cancelled more than twice, with five existing claimants sharing the same ordeal. However, this final figure is rounded up and the actual number was fewer than five.
