8000 people in Capital set to lose incapacity benefits

Published on Tuesday 8 November 2011 12:07

AROUND 8000 people in Edinburgh are set to lose their incapacity benefits under the UK Government’s latest reforms, a study claimed today.

Tougher criteria mean the total of 20,660 incapacity benefit claimants in the Capital will be slashed by about 40 per cent.

Around 2300 will be forced on to Job Seekers Allowance and 4900 will be removed from benefits altogether.

The study by academics at Sheffield Hallam University calculated that in Scotland, the current total of 275,000 men and women on incapacity benefits would be cut by 115,000 by 2014.

The figures are based on pilot studies and the Department for Work and Pensions’ own assumptions about the impact on benefit claimants.

The study said that while some people would find work, there was little reason to suppose the big fall in claimant numbers will lead to significant increases in employment.

It warned: “Incapacity claimants often face multiple obstacles to working again and their concentration in the most disadvantaged communities means they usually have little chance of finding work.”

The researchers found that Scotland, the North of England and Wales would be most affected by the reforms, while there would be hardly any impact on the most prosperous parts of southern England.

Professor Steve Fothergill, co-author of the report, said: “The large numbers that will be pushed off incapacity benefits over the next two to three years are entirely the result of changes in benefit rules – the introduction of a new tougher medical test and, in particular, the more widespread application of means-testing from next April.

“The reduction does not mean that there is currently widespread fraud, or that the health problems and disabilities are anything less than real.

“The reforms to incapacity benefits that are under way 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.”

Edinburgh East Labour MP Sheila Gilmore said the tests claimants had to go through were often producing the wrong results.

She said: “The success rate for appeals is about 40 per cent, which is much higher than you would normally expect, so there is concern that people are losing benefits who should not be.

“And we are currently in a period when the jobs are not out there anyway, so people are anxious because their chances of getting work are fairly slim.”

Comments

There are 5 comments to this article

Order by:

• Newest first
• |
• Oldest first

Page 1 of 1

• 1
• Show all

5

Beelzebub's amanuensis

Tuesday, November 8, 2011 at 04:39 PM

That's funny. I was post no. 5 20 minutes ago, and I didn't write anything offensive. Now there's only 3 posts.

• Report Unsuitable

4

Beelzebub's amanuensis

Tuesday, November 8, 2011 at 04:15 PM

I suspect a fair number of these are people who social services know are unemployable because of drugalcohol addiction (or just sheer coursenesslaziness) and would swell unemployment figures to realistic levels if they were on jobseekers' allowance. Because of this massaging of statistics, genuine cases will now find it harder to get the help they need.

• Report Unsuitable

3

Decent

Tuesday, November 8, 2011 at 12:48 PM

A small step in the right direction. We need to stop funding junkies and jakies and single mothers. Nobody has even explained to me why they get money if their kid has ADHD? Is there something I am missing? Does it cost more to bring up a hyperactive child? They also get it for mild asthma and a huge number of minor complaints. Disability should mean what it says.

• Report Unsuitable

2

John1

Tuesday, November 8, 2011 at 12:39 PM

Not before time. Hope they get all the right ones though.

• Report Unsuitable

1

Harry Palmer

Tuesday, November 8, 2011 at 12:28 PM

Sheila Gilmore is an MP of the highest charecter. The government at westminster would be well served to listen to her and the many experts who have concerns anout what the ConDems are doing. We all want a farier more modern welfare system. However that should not mean attacking society's most vunerable just because they don't vote for you Mr Cameron!

• Report Unsuitable

Order by:

• Newest first
• |
• Oldest first

Page 1 of 1

• 1
• Show all

Logged in as:

Comment here. Start typing your comment here:

Post comment

Please adhere to our Community guidelines

Your view

Please sign in to be able to comment on this story.