Government welfare reforms would force 600,000 people to disappear from the benefits system altogether, causing many to rely on family for financial support, according to researchers from Sheffield Hallam University said Scotland.
Co-author of the report, professor Steve Forthergill, 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 onwards. The reduction does not mean that there is currently widespread fraud, or that the health problems and disabilities are anything less than real."
The study said Scotland, Wales and the north of England would suffer most from the changes, which are to be introduced by 2014.
Co-author of the report, professor Steve Forthergill, 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 onwards. The reduction does not mean that there is currently widespread fraud, or that the health problems and disabilities are anything less than real."
The study said Scotland, Wales and the north of England would suffer most from the changes, which are to be introduced by 2014.
Whilst I agreee that the welfare reforms will cause the most problems for my most vulnerable clients who have the greatest difficulty in all areas of their functioning, this article is very unsatisfactory as it does not say WHY welfare reforms will force 600,000 people to disappear from the benefits system althgether. Why is it that they cannot claim ESA, or JSA??? Who are this group of people who have been carefully quantified? What are their charactistics???
I am not sure that you really understand the issue. People who are currently on Invalidity Benefit will be transferred onto ESA if they fail the compulsory medical. This means that they will get a massive reduction in their weekly benefit, I think to the tune of £60 weekly. Jobseekers allowance is what everyone will get now if they are unemployed.
The iniquity of this legislation is that people who suffer from long term mental health problems or invisible physical problems will probably fail the medical because they appear fit for work. These medical examiners are useless. I know, I've seen them at work. They want to cut the benefits bill and will stop at nothing to achieve this
Hi Sunny Money and jennyfer - thanks for commenting.
Sunny Monday - did you click the link through to the thorough Guardian article on this issue? I wrote this blog to flag up the Guardian article to readers because I thought it would be of interest - I did not elaborate because the Guardian covered the issue in quite a lot of depth.