75% on sick benefit ‘able to work’

Majority of people who apply for sickness benefit are found fit to work or drop claims before they are completed, official figures show Three-quarters of claimants who apply for sickness benefit are found fit to work or abandon their claims before completing their medical assessment, according to the latest figures published by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). However, initial assessments of people’s fitness to return to the workplace have been overturned in almost four in 10 cases where individuals appealed. The employment and support allowance (ESA) replaced incapacity benefit and income support for new claimants in October 2008, accompanied by a work capability assessment – a controversial computerised test used to judge claimants’ ability to work . If found fit to work, the individual can no longer claim ESA, though they can ask for the decision to be reviewed or launch an appeal. The DWP figures, which cover the period from October 27 2008 to August 31 2010, shows that during that period 887,300 of the 1,175,700 applicants for ESA failed to qualify for any assistance. Of those, 458,500 (39%) were judged fit to work, while 428,800 (36%) ditched their claim. A further 16% were placed in the “work-related activity group”, where individuals are deemed able to take on some level of work but still receive a level of ESA support. Over one-third (36%) of people who made a claim for ESA between October 2008 and February 2010 and were found to fit to work at assessment have appealed to date, with the original decision overturned in almost four in 10 cases (39%). The DWP said it expects that more appeals from assessments made during this period have yet to be heard. Chris Grayling, the employment minister, said the number of claimants assessed to be fit to work underlined the need to reassess people still on the old form of incapacity benefit, a process the government began rolling out last month. “Once again we have clear evidence of the need for change in our welfare system,” Grayling said. “We now know very clearly that the vast majority of new claimants for sickness benefits are in fact able to return to work. That’s why we are turning our attention to existing claimants, who were simply abandoned on benefits. That’s why we are reassessing all of those claimants, and launching the work programme to provide specialist back to work support.” Grayling promised the government would continue to provide “unconditional support” to those who cannot work. “But for those who can it’s right and proper that they start back on the road to employment,” he added. Disability Welfare Work & careers Chris Grayling Hélène Mulholland guardian.co.uk

Posted by on April 28, 2011. Filed under News, Politics, World News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.