MP hopeful fit-to-work backlog will be cleared

NORTHERN Isles MP Alistair Carmichael says he is hopeful the lengthy backlog of people waiting for fit-to-work assessments in Shetland can be cleared by the end of the year.

Last week Shetland News revealed that 128 individuals were facing an “anxious and stressful” wait after private company Maximus UK postponed a planned visit to the islands to conduct the assessments.

In the meantime those affected have to rely on the basic jobseekers’ allowance rate of £73.10 a week. Citizens Advice Bureau Lerwick manager Karen Eunson said that, while claims could be backdated if individuals are deemed unfit for work, they still faced short-term cash flow problems.  

Maximus took over the contract after much-maligned private firm ATOS resigned from its five-year, £400 million contract last year.

Earlier this week Carmichael met with Maximus management in Aberdeen to discus the slow progress of assessments in Shetland and Orkney. He urged them to “act swiftly” to clear the backlog.

He said the historic problems dated back to when ATOS was the contractor, but since Maximus took over “we have not seen the hoped for improvements”.

“One area where there has been an improvement, however, has been their willingness to engage with people like myself,” Carmichael said.

“I was pleased, therefore, to meet with managers in Aberdeen this week to get to the root of the problems that are causing the delays.”

Carmichael said he felt few of those problems seemed “particularly difficult to solve” and “ought to be capable of restoration”.

“I have agreed to work with them to identify local solutions to the problems they have found and it is possible that we could see dramatic improvements in a short timescale and a clearing of the backlog by the end of the year.”

He added: “Obviously it remains to be seen what progress can be made but I was impressed by the willingness to listen and to act.”

Maximus last week apologised for “any inconvenience these delays may have caused” and said it planned to have a doctor in Lerwick between 27 July and 31 August.