Overview
- Telephone and face-to-face health assessments for Personal Independence Payment, Work Capability Assessments in Universal Credit and ESA, and Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit have been audio recorded by default since Monday June 29, 2026 unless a claimant opts out.
- Claimants are told in Health Assessment Advisory Service appointment letters that they can opt out before or during an assessment and that choosing not to be recorded will not disadvantage them.
- People can request their recording during or after the assessment and will receive a secure download link by text that normally requires a smartphone and National Insurance number with alternative Right of Access routes for those without electronic access.
- The DWP says recordings will normally be retained for 24 months and may be kept longer for disputes or other lawful reasons and that decision makers will continue to rely on the written assessment report while using audio for quality review and appeals.
- The move replaces a low-use opt-in system used by fewer than 3 percent of claimants and has been welcomed by campaign groups for improving accountability even as they warn recordings alone do not fix deeper problems in assessment fairness; the Timms Review will consider wider reforms with an interim report due in mid-July and final work expected in autumn 2026.