Government faces rebellion over review of incapacity benefit for disabled people

The government faced a backbench rebellion this week over plans
to force disabled people to undergo regular “MoTs” to check they
should be receiving incapacity benefit.

Under plans to be included in the forthcoming Welfare Reform
Bill, claimants will have to undergo medical tests every three
years to assess eligibility for the payments. The plans were widely
criticised by disability groups.

Joe Korner of the Royal National Institute for the Blind said:
“They are treating people like cars going for an MoT. If you’re
blind this year, you’re blind next year as well.”

Introducing the measures to the Institute for Public Policy
Research last week, secretary of state for work and pensions
Alistair Darling said:

“We cannot let people be written off or allow themselves to be
written off, which is tragically what has happened in many parts of
the country.”

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