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Now, all I/B claimants face cuts and 'work or no benefits'

Swanner | 13.03.2008 13:15 | Sheffield

Existing I/B claimants to face the new Work Capability Assessment(WCA) and attend work programmes.

The Gov't continuing war on the most vulnerable continues,

Slipped into the budget was the announcement that

from April 2010, all long-term recipients of incapacity benefit will attend work capacity programmes.'

This is despite John Hutton when DWP Secretary promising the Works and Pensions Select Committee who were discussing the Welfare Reform Act that they had no plans to 'migrate' existing claimants.

Although it will take time and resources, (which the govt is not committing anyway) to process millions of claimants, ultimately, no matter how ill or disabled they are, many of the most vulnerable people in the U.K will have to face very invasive and brutal medical tests, loss of benefits and pushed into often unsuitable training and work.

With the Welfare Reform Act 2007, the Freud Review/ Welfare Green Paper, and now ‘Freud Redux’, plus others, the scope, speed and, yes, ferocity of welfare reform has been breath-taking. One can see the end of a rights based welfare system in the UK, coupled with a move to a privatised and minimal U.S model with only the big private training companies benefiting.

 http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/nickrobinson/2008/03/benefit_tests.html

Swanner
- e-mail: sheffieldwelfare_an@yahoo.co.uk
- Homepage: http://www.swansheffield.org.uk

Comments

Hide the following 3 comments

ib

13.03.2008 14:34

im on IB, I couldnt do one of their courses, it would make my condition worse to be forced to stay in a room and eventually I would just have to leave.
i'll sue em.

ha

Some nasties coming this year - mostly private companies complete PtW rollout

13.03.2008 15:47

SWAN will be aware of this I'm sure, but worth adding that Pathways to Work goes national from April 2008, to be adminstered by a host of private and third sector companies, like Work Directions in Notts.

And according to Dept of Work and Pensions press release: "Peter Hain announced a new medical test to assess work capability on 19 November (2007). The Work Capability Assessment will be introduced in October 2008 alongside the new Employment and Support Allowance for people claiming the new allowance. The Employment and Support Allowance replaces Incapacity Benefits from October 2008. "

Main point is we can't wait until 2010 to start fighting this!

Refs:

Pathways on track for national roll-out (DWP press release, Dec 2007):  http://www.dwp.gov.uk/mediacentre/pressreleases/2007/dec/drc061-201207.asp

Work Directions Ltd.:  http://www.workdirections.co.uk

The other Phase 1 Pathways to Work contractors appointed in September 2007 were A4e, Seetec Ltd, Shaw Trust, TNG Ltd, Triage Central Ltd. & Work Directions. According to DWP press release above, these contractors have been delivering Pathways in 15 Jobcentre Plus Districts since 3 December 2007. The organisations awarded the Phase II contracts in Dec 2007 were Carter & Carter Group plc, Instant Muscle Enterprise Limited, Reed in Partnership, Remploy, Royal British Legion Industries, Shaw Trust, TNG and Working Links, to deliver Pathways in the remaining 16 Jobcentre Plus districts from April 2008, completing the national rollout across Great Britain.

Nottingham Claimants Action
- Homepage: http://www.geocities.com/ncajsa

I've been disabled

13.03.2008 15:57

for 20 years. But I'm doing an MCP course ( Microsoft certified professional ) . The DWP are paying for it.It has'nt affected my benefits in any way. There is a way back to work for the disabled if they want to do it. And it does not have to be menial unsuitable work. Someone else I know who has been on IB for some time was given the money to buy a car to use as a private hire taxi. I am doing it because I was sick of sitting around cabbaging.

Ged the peg