The report by the Centre for Regional Economic and Social Research at Sheffield Hallam University, estimates that the reforms will cut the number of disabled people on out-of-work disability benefits by nearly one million, in just three years.
It stresses that the reduction will be because of strict rules on claiming the new employment and support allowance (ESA), and “does not mean that there is currently widespread fraud, or that the health problems and disabilities are anything less than real”.
It also concludes that nearly 600,000 claimants will be pushed out of the benefits system completely, while another 300,000 will be forced to claim the mainstream jobseeker’s allowance – which is paid at a lower rate than ESA.
The report also warns that the effects of the reforms will be concentrated in the older industrial areas of the north, Scotland and Wales, while they will impact “barely at all on the most prosperous parts of southern England”.
It points out that the proportion of working-age adults claiming incapacity benefits in Merthyr Tydfil was 14.5per cent in February 2011, but in the area of Hart District Council, in Hampshire, it was just 2.1per cent.
Some of the reforms – a tough new work capability test, new requirements for many disabled claimants to engage in work-related activity, and the re-testing of all existing claimants of old-style incapacity benefit – were introduced or proposed by the Labour government.
But the Conservative/Liberal Democrat coalition has accelerated the pace of reform and controversially plans to time-limit the contributory form of ESA to just one year for those found able to carry out some work-related activity.
The report says Labour’s reforms were “always set to trigger much distress for very little reward” but the coalition’s time-limiting of entitlement to ESA will “merely crank up the levels of distress”.
Professor Steve Fothergill, co-author of the report, said: “In terms of the numbers affected and the scale and severity of the impact, the reforms to incapacity benefits that are underway are probably the most far-reaching changes to the benefits system for at least a generation.
“They will impoverish vast numbers of households, and cause untold distress in countless more.”
Although the report says that some former claimants will find work, it says there is “little reason to suppose that the big fall in claimant numbers will lead to significant increases in employment”.
It adds: “Incapacity claimants often face multiple obstacles to working again and their concentration in the weakest local economies and most disadvantaged communities means they usually have little chance of finding work.”
The full report is available at: https://www.shu.ac.uk/_assets/pdf/cresr-final-incapacity-benefit-reform.pdf
Based on a news story provided by John Pring at https://www.disabilitynewsservice.com/
Dear David Cameron and Nick Clegg,
While we don’t expect gifts this Christmas, we do want our basic rights protected and the support to enable us to live independently and with dignity.
Please make the New Year something disabled people can look forward to by:
Not bringing in an arbitrary time-limit on Employment and Support Allowance for those who’ve paid into the system and still need support.
Making sure that those who rely on Disability Living Allowance continue to receive the financial support they need through Personal Independence Payment.
What’s your message?
https://www.e-activist.com/ea-action/widget?widgetId=752