Most Work Capability Assessment claims are not lost on the diagnosis. They are lost on answers like "I struggle to walk far" that give the decision maker nothing to score. Under regulation 15 and Schedule 2 of the ESA Regulations 2013, and regulation 39 and Schedule 6 of the Universal Credit Regulations 2013, you need 15 points from the descriptors. A descriptor only counts where it describes you for the majority of the time, and the tribunals require that you can do the activity reliably, repeatedly, safely and in a timely manner. This checker reads your draft for exactly those things.
What the checker looks for
Ten things, all taken from how Work Capability Assessment decisions are actually made. An answer does not need every one, but each missing item is a place where the decision maker can assume the best about you.
1. How oftenDays a week, every day, most of the time. A descriptor only applies for the majority of the time, so frequency is the single most important fact in any answer.
2. Help, aids or promptingA person, a piece of equipment, someone reminding or supervising you. The descriptors say "unaided by another person" and assume aids you could reasonably use, so say what the aid does not fix.
3. SafetyFalls, burns, seizures, blackouts, panic. "Safely" is part of doing an activity reliably and the part assessors skip most often.
4. Time, repetition and effortHow long it takes, whether you can repeat it, and what it costs afterwards. If it takes far longer than it should or you cannot do it again, it does not count as done reliably.
5. What goes wrong without helpTasks never started, meals skipped, days lost, appointments missed. The consequence proves the need.
6. A real exampleOne dated incident is worth more than three general sentences. "In March I fell on the stairs" cannot be waved away.
7. The causeLink the difficulty to the symptom: pain, fatigue, breathlessness, anxiety, memory. The regulations require the difficulty to arise from your condition, and the decision maker should not have to guess.
8. Focus on what you cannot doThe form is not the place to be brave. Describe the difficulty, not the coping.
9. No undermining phrases"I manage", "I'm fine", "on a good day I can". These sentences hand points back.
10. Enough detailA few sentences with real facts beat one line. Length is not the goal, facts are.
Phrases that quietly lose points
"I can walk to the shop" → "I can walk about [50] metres before I have to stop because of..., and I need [20 minutes] before I can go on"
"I can manage on good days" → "For most of the time I cannot do this without help because..."
"I try my best" → "Even with maximum effort I cannot do this reliably, because..."
"It depends" → "On five or six days a week I cannot do this because..."
"I cope" → "I have adapted by avoiding this altogether, which means I go without..."
What each activity is really asking
The form questions look simple. Each one hides three or four things the decision maker is scoring. Pick an activity in the checker and the box under it lists them. A few examples:
Mobilising unaided by another personhow far you can walk before stopping to avoid significant discomfort or exhaustion · two steps with a handrail · a wheelchair, if it would be reasonable for you to use one · how long a distance takes and what it costs you afterwards.
Standing and sittingmoving between two seats next to each other without physical help · how long you can stay at a work station, standing or sitting, before you must move away · what an adjustable chair does not fix · what happens after 30 minutes or an hour.
Reachingraising an arm above your head, as if to put on a hat · reaching to the top of your head · reaching forward as if to shake hands · which arm, and whether both are affected.
Picking up and moving or transferring by the use of the upper body and armspicking up and moving a half-litre carton with one or both hands · a large but light object such as an empty cardboard box · dropping things and losing grip · how often you can repeat it.
Our guides to filling in the ESA50 and what to write on the UC50 go through all 17 activities, and the ESA form examples show what complete answers look like.
See a complete answer about your own conditions
The checker shows what is missing. The free preview shows what a complete answer looks like: one WCA activity, written for your conditions, the way decision makers score it. Free, no card, about two minutes.
See one of your answers free →
Use it with the free evidence tools
The checker keeps asking for frequency and real incidents. The ESA & UC Symptom Diary gives you both: a month of ticks that turns "I struggle" into "on 19 days out of 28". The Carer's Statement Template puts the same facts in the words of the person who sees them, and the Evidence Tracker makes sure the letters that back them up arrive.
Frequently asked questions
Is the WCA answer checker free?+
Yes. It is free, there is no card and no sign-up. It runs entirely in your browser: nothing you paste is sent to us or stored anywhere. We fund it through our paid WCA50 guidance service.
Does it score points or predict my decision?+
No. It checks the wording of one answer against what decision makers actually look for: how often you struggle, what help you need, whether it is safe, how long it takes and what goes wrong without help. It cannot see your evidence or your assessment, so it cannot score points or predict an outcome. Only the DWP decision maker does that.
Which answers can I check?+
Any free-text answer from the WCA50 questionnaire: the ESA50 for Employment and Support Allowance or the UC50 for Universal Credit. The same 17 activities apply to a reassessment. Pick the activity from the list, paste the answer, and press Check. You can check all 17 activities one after another.
Why does "I manage" cost points?+
The Work Capability Assessment is scored on what you can do reliably, repeatedly, safely and in a timely manner, for the majority of the time. "I manage" tells the decision maker you can do it and says nothing about the cost. Describe what managing takes instead: the time, the pain, the help, the recovery, the things that go wrong.
Does it work for mental health conditions?+
Yes. Seven of the 17 activities are about mental, cognitive and intellectual function: learning, hazards, starting and finishing tasks, coping with change, getting about, social engagement and behaviour. The same five things score there: how often, what prompting or support, whether it is safe, how long it takes and what happens without help.
Is what I paste private?+
Completely. The check is done by a small script in your own browser. Your answer is never uploaded, logged or saved. If you ask us to email you the checklist, we store only your email address.
What should I do after checking?+
Fix the gaps the checker shows, in your own words and only with things that are true for you. If you want to see what a complete answer about your own conditions reads like, the free preview writes one activity for you. The full report does the same for all 17.