The government has announced its plans to make a major benefits change which will have a big impact on claimants with a disability.
During his Spring Budget, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt said the government will scrap the Work Capability Assessment (WCA) for benefits. Now, claimants will undertake an assessment that focuses on the type of work they believe they could do.
People claiming both Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment (PIP) will be affected by the assessment changes. According to Mr Hunt, the major shake-up will allow more disabled people to enter the workforce without worrying about losing their benefits in what he calls the "biggest change to our welfare system in a decade".
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Speaking in the House of Commons, Mr Hunt claimed that half the vacancies in the economy could be filled with those who want to work but are held back by sickness or a disability. He added: "With Zoom, Teams and new working models that make it easier to work from home, this is more possible than ever before.
“So for that reason, the ever-diligent Work and Pensions Secretary today takes the next step in his groundbreaking work on tackling economic inactivity. I thank him for that, and today we publish a White Paper on disability benefits reform. It is the biggest change to our welfare system in a decade.”
Meanwhile, the government will also introduce a new funding package to help disabled people find work. Known as "Universal Support", the package will provide £4,000 worth of support funding for a disabled person each year.
The Chancellor has also placed £400 million towards funding the increased availability of mental health and musculoskeletal resources for workers.
The move was welcomed by James Taylor, executive director of strategy at disability equality charity Scope, but he warned there have been "many mistakes" on welfare reform in the past. He said: "The Government has got a mountain to climb to win back the trust of disabled people.
"For far too long, disabled people have been faced with degrading benefits assessments, cruel sanctions and a dearth of tailored support to find suitable jobs. Disabled people face major barriers getting into work, such as discrimination from employers and long delays getting the right support. There is much work for the Government to do to get this right and rebuild trust.”
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