57% of people who have been through Work Capability Assessment (WCA) found fit for work between March & May 2011
25 January 2012 – Grayling: Removing the sickness benefit trap
The latest figures show that 57 per cent of people who go through the Work Capability Assessment are found fit for some form of work.
The official statistics published today also show that, for the latest period 21 per cent can do some work with the right help and support and a further 22 per cent of people will go directly into the Support Group, receiving unconditional financial support.
Employment Minister Chris Grayling said:
"These reforms are changing the landscape of our country. By concentrating on what people can do, we will help people back into work and out of the trap of benefits that has blighted communities. We want to help everyone who can be in work to get there, not just for themselves but for their children.
"It is clear that the majority of new claimants to sickness benefits are in fact able to do some work. For those that need additional help our new Work Programme is up and running and will tailor support to people’s needs so that they can overcome whatever barriers they face."
The number of working age people on ESA and incapacity benefits at May 2011 is the lowest since 1996 but there are still 2.60 million people claiming, 916,970 of which have been on Incapacity Benefit for over a decade.
For new ESA claims
Outcomes of initial assessments for claims started from March to May 2011 show:
- 48 per cent of claimants have an outcome i.e. decisions have been made on their claims;
- 38 per cent of claimants had their claim closed before having a face to face assessment; and
- 14 per cent of claimants were still undergoing assessment.
Claimants with an outcome for their claim can be broken down as follows:
-
43 per cent of claimants were entitled to the benefit. Within this –
- 21 per cent of claimants were placed in the Work Related Activity Group; and
- 22 per cent of claimants were placed in the Support Group; and
- 57 per cent of claimants were assessed as Fit for Work and are no longer eligible for Employment and Support Allowance.
The reduction in the Incapacity Benefit caseload is a result of the reassessment process which sees people on Incapacity Benefit assessed using the Work Capability Assessment to determine eligibility to Employment and Support Allowance. A quarter of the 1.5 million Incapacity Benefit claimants going through re-assessment have begun the process.
Note to Editors:
Latest official statistics
Official statistics on new claims for Employment and Support Allowance are available at: http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/workingage/index.php?page=esa_wca
PDF version
is that the best that they can do? with the number of so called disabled people, i think it fair to say we all know quite a few. of various ones i know they tell you they are "scamming" it but come an assessment you would think they would hardly make another 24hrs, they become so sick all of a sudden,i would say that their should be more snooping tactics used, guaranteed to reduce claims. of these claimants i know personally i bet 8 out of 10 would be moved to jobseekers allowance, but funny as it may seem the 2 in 10 do want to work, the 8 dont, but like the extra money, mobility perks, and the choice of doing what they want, with just an annual reveiw, with an appeal process that can be fixed by the do-gooders (who lets face it are the ones who run the system) surely the government should speak for us ordinary people,you know the majority of the country, not the ones who constantly want to screw the system for what they can get out of it, the government should have the b***s to stand up and tell these people that unless there is a real true disability, not someone who jumps from one type of disability claim straight onto a different one when the first gets turned down,come on we can all see through how the system is abused, except the ones who are supposed to be intelegent. tells you a lot about the wealthy lords and politicians (hang on maybe they can claim obviously they are blind) but us with our 12k work incomes will not be heard as we are not big enough to have any say.
You may further want to use http://www.citizensadvice.co.uk/getadvice/benefit-calculator/ , http://www.familynest.co.uk/Tools/Tax-credits-benefits-calculator/ or http://www.turn2us.org.uk/benefits_search.aspx to check your entitlements. Also worth checking if http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/MoneyTaxAndBenefits/BenefitsTaxCreditsAndOth... applies, which will help with cost of NHS perscriptions and dental charges.
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/MoneyTaxAndBenefits/BenefitsTaxCreditsAndOth... and http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/index/your_money/benefits_index_page_ew/he... provides additonal information on Low Incomes.
Think you are over generalising. Let me see if I can bring some clarity. Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) is paid on the basis of "fitness for work". GP's no longer produce sick notes, they were replaced by "Fit notes".
ESA is typically paid to those who are to unwell to work. You do not have to have a recognised disability (as defined in law) to be to unwell to work although if you have a recognised disability you would be likely to be to unwell for work.
To assume entitlement to ESA is wholly on the basis of being disabled is not factually correct.
Disability Living Allowance can also be paid to persons with a long term illness that isn't necessarily a 'disability".
Not all people recognised as disabled claim ESA or DLA.
The only benefit which has the lowest, by quite some mark, of fraud is Disability Living Allowance. The assumption it is 'easy to get' is simply not true. The degree of medical evidence you have to provide and detail one has to give lend themselfs to a process that results in such low level of fraud. The level is believed to be less than 1/2% of all claims.
For ESA, a new system, Professor Harrington who reviews its progress has made several recommendation to improve it.
Finally one needs to be reminded that those that work and are on low incomes also get help through the benefit system if there situation merits it through Housing benefit, Council tax benefit, working tax credits, child benefit etc.
You would have to know the full factual medical history of any person, how it effects them, the coping strategies in place both day and night for protracted periods to make a justification on the grounds you make regarding 'scamming".
True, there is some fraud and no body is saying that the state shouldn't do all it can to tackle this.
I agree with the point that 12K is not a decent salary and that work should be done to increase the minimum wage to a living wage.
I know many, myself included, that were part of what you describe as "ordinary people" paying 40% tax but then illness meant work ceased to be an option. The National Insurance paid provides, as it was supposed to, the safety net we were paying for.
I am grateful you spent the time to comment as it is typical of a sentiment felt by many. However, I would simply ask that, you look at the detail and understand that the generalisations sometimes used in the media are often incorrect when you look at the detail.
yet again more misleading figures from the government, they forgot to mention the amount of those in the 57% who have gone to appeal and won