PIP CLAIMANT SAYS CAPITA REFUSED ASSESSMENT RECORDING

A Personal Independence Payment (PIP) claimant says Capita refused to give them an audio recording of their assessment after an assessor advised them to request it. The claimant said Capita cited missing “security identification” details, including their name, and strict rules on releasing recordings. They said the assessor requested details from their driving licence shortly after recording began and typed the information into a system. The claimant cited the PIP assessment guide in questioning the refusal.

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) introduced automatic audio recording for PIP and Work Capability Assessment telephone and face-to-face appointments on 29 June 2026. The DWP says claimants can ask for an assessment not to be recorded. Its PIP assessment guide says assessment providers “must ensure that a copy of the recording is provided to the claimant upon request”, including reasonable requests for multiple copies. The DWP says technical limitations currently prevent audio recording of video assessments. It says it is working on a way to offer that option in future.

The DWP says claimants can request their recording during an assessment or by calling the number on their appointment letter. It says they receive a text message with a secure download link when the recording is ready. Claimants need a smartphone and their National Insurance number to use the link, according to the DWP. The department says people without a way to download a recording can make a Right of Access request or write to it. An adviser suggested that the claimant submit a Subject Access Request for the recording and make an official complaint.