 |
 |
|
|
about disability rights uk 
advisers benefits coalition on charging contact da disability benefits consortium home links membership policy and campaigns search shop site map skill website support da tax credits what's new
DA Press Release: 14 October 2009
Yesterday the Government released figures on how people access the benefit that replaced Incapacity Benefit (IB). Today's news contains many stereotypes of Incapacity Benefit (IB) claimants as 'undeserving' and ineligible for benefits.
However, the vast majority of IB claimants were entitled to the benefit. But the way people access benefits has changed. Under the new tougher system introduced in October 2008, more people are required to work who could previously have qualified for IB.
The Government's new programme includes:
- ending access to IB;
- introducing a new benefit called Employment and Support Allowance (ESA); and
- assessing new claimants and some people on IB using the 'Work Capability Assessment'.
This new assessment decides whether disabled people - who could previously have claimed IB - will be entitled to remain in a 'not required to work' ESA category or be asked to undertake work related activities. They may also be put straight on Jobseekers Allowance and required to find work.
The figures released from the assessments suggest that:
- 5% of claimants are still not required to work;
- 38% stopped claiming the benefit while being assessed;
- 36% were moved to another benefit;
- 11% were asked to undertake some work related activity; and
- 10% were still being assessed.
DA supports Government action to help disabled people find and keep work.
But we are aware that the Work Capability Assessment is too rigid - even requiring people about to have operations and some terminally ill people to be assessed. The assessment is also unable to always reflect disabled people's daily lives/needs. Some disabled people are judged 'work ready' who really cannot work, or need specialist advisors' help to find suitable work.
We hope that disabled people being moved from IB are able to access support from advisors to help find appropriate work. But some disabled people are being put straight on JSA - which provides no tailored help at a time there are less jobs, more competition and employer discrimination remains high.
It is estimated, for instance, that 40% of IB claimants have one or more mental health problem. But 80% of employers in a recent survey said that they would not take on people with mental health problems.
We hope the Government - and all mainstream political parties - will clarify how employer discrimination will also be tackled to help disabled people (including former IB claimants) find work, and how more jobs will be made available to ensure disabled people are not just cast adrift.
For further information please contact Neil Coyle, Director of Policy on 020 7247 8759 or email: ncoyle@disabilityalliance.org.
1) Incapacity Benefit was replaced for new claimants from October 2008 by 'Employment and Support Allowance' (ESA). New claimants are assessed for ESA not IB.
2) ESA has two categories: one ('support') for disabled people unable to work paid at £95.15 per week; and the other for people able to undertake some work-related activity which is paid at £89.80 - but the vast majority of new claimants will receive Jobseekers Allowance (JSA) which is paid at £64.30 for people aged 25 and over (£50.95 for under 25s).
3) The DWP figures are available at: http://www.dwp.gov.uk/newsroom/press-releases/2009/october-2009/dwp043-09-131009.shtml
 |
