Incapacity benefit reforms announced by government

GPs will be rewarded for helping people come off benefits and into work under welfare reforms announced by work and pensions secretary John Hutton in a green paper today.

The government also announced that incapacity benefit is to be replaced with a new employment support allowance from 2008.

People with more manageable conditions wil only be able to claim the highest rate of the new benefit – which will be higher than current long term incapacity benefit  of £74 a week – if they take part in activities including interviews and rehabilitation plans aimed at returning them to work.

If they do not comply the new benefit will be reduced in a series of cuts stopping at the level of job seeker’s allowance, (about £55 a week).

People with the most serious conditions will not be required to meet any of the terms in order to qualify for the new benefit, which will be paid at a higher rate than at present.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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