3/4 of Incapacity benefit claimants fit for work

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I should start by say that the 75% figure being bandied around is not actually what the story says. Figures show that new claimants of the new employment and support allowance (ESA) between October 2008 and August 2010 failed to qualify. Reports go on to mention that 40% of those who appealed against that decision then were awarded the benefit. While I could not deny that there are people out there who could probably work and yet receive sickness benefit, I think the DWP (Department of Work and Pensions) are targeting the soft targets to make the new figures look fantastic.

While I also agree that something had to be done, I know of cases where people with quite severe mental health issues have been denied this financial help and have yet been offered nothing practical in it’s place. I accept that throwing money at these people isn’t the answer but neither is expecting employers to take on staff who may turn up once, find it too difficult and never return and because both the employer and the employee have had no support on how to handle this, the cases of wrongful dismissal will rise. As an employer you can no longer ask about someones health so how you can attempt to judge if a position is suitable for someone and for a lot of small businesses this will signal the end of them as they end up in tribunals.

How about some joined up thinking, a couple of weeks ago it was announced that 80,000 people who currently claim Incapacity Benefit are doing so for obesity, drug and alcohol problems and the big thing that’s going to happen is to get all these people back to work. How about tying up treatment and support as a condition, make people feel valued as human beings. This will also have a side effect of revealing those that are genuinely shirking, those who really play the system.

I probably shouldn’t suggest a solution as more trumped up human resource cases and tribunals would and is equating to more work for the private investigation industry and I do recognise that we can no longer carry on the way we were previously, will be interesting to see what happens in the future, would be interested in your thoughts.