Health and social work services

Tender description

Further to notice 2018/S 247-570938, DWP, is announcing to the market its intention to seek a contract variation of the Personal Independence Payment (PIP) assessment services lot 1, contract, with the incumbent supplier. The contract Variation shall provide for an extension of up to two (2) years, 1 August 2021-31 July 2023. The contract was awarded pursuant to the health and disability assessment services framework agreement (referenced DWP_100255) which expired in 2016. The contract was originally for a term of 5 + 1 + 1 years and was due to expire on 31 July 2019. This was extended for 2 years (see Voluntary ex ante transparency notice 2018/S 247-570938). Contract award date and est value are stated in the 'Award of Contract' section of the notice. The contract relates to the provision of 'social and other specific services' within the meaning of Schedule 3 of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (SI 2015/102) (PCR). and is critical to the provision of statutory ‘PIP’ welfare benefits. On 5 March 2020, DWP published a Prior Information Notice 2020/S 046-109668, signalling its intent to re-procure the PIP Contracts in accordance with Section 7 of the PCR. Within days of this, the Covid-19 Pandemic hit the UK and significantly impacted DWP including delivery of health assessments and the planned procurement. The impact of Covid-19 means we have not been able to launch the procurement as planned. Extensions to the existing contracts are needed to fully understand and evaluate the impacts of Covid-19 ahead of future procurements as well as to stabilise the assessment service and resource. The impact of Covid-19 has been, and continues to be, very significant. The assessment service has had to be very quickly adapted, in particular to suspend face to face assessments and mobilise alternative methods of delivery to support claimants. Alongside this departmental and supplier staff and resources have had to be restructured and redeployed to help deliver DWP and the wider government’s operational response to Covid-19. DWP has also consulted with the market on the impacts of Covid-19. Given that PIP is a critical statutory welfare benefit that caters for vulnerable people, a gap in service provision is not an option DWP therefore consider it necessary to explore options to extend the contract for up to 2 years in order to: (i) stabilise the assessment service; (ii) ensure a continuous service for these complex and vitally important services, which support delivery of statutory welfare benefits to hundreds of thousands of vulnerable claimants each year; and (iii) allow DWP to fully understand and evaluate the impacts of Covid-19 on the assessment services we require of the market ahead of future procurements. DWP will continue engaging with the market to discuss the future transition of the PIP assessment service and the future of health assessments more broadly. DWP will build in periodic reviews (4-6 monthly) to understand the developing Covid impact on the extensions we intend to put in place. This will support identifying whether longer or shorter extensions than 24 months are needed.