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Tests claim few benefit claimants 'unfit to work'

A sign of the culture in the 21st century in the UK?
Only 7% of people claiming sickness benefits were unable to do any sort of work, new figures have shown.

New claimants of Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) must undergo tests to see if they are capable of some sort of employment.

Of 1.3 million tests between October 2008 and November 2010, some 88,700 were considered unfit for any work.

The TUC said the tests were a money-saving exercise, adding that disabled people were not "trying it on".

The Department for Work and Pensions figures come on the day a report warned tests caused anxiety among claimants.

Fitness
ESA is the successor to Incapacity Benefit and claimants are required to go through a series of tests to judge their fitness for work.

The department has released the results from 1.3 million tests over a period of more than two years which showed:

7% were incapable of any work
17% were able to do some sort of work given the correct support
39% were deemed to be fit for work and were moved onto jobseeker's allowance
36% dropped out of the application process
1% of applications were still in progress

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-14280849
«134567

Comments

  • robpw2
    robpw2 Posts: 14,044 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture Combo Breaker
    can you not just respond to the 999999999 other threads on this topic today


    Slimming world start 28/01/2012 starting weight 21st 2.5lb current weight 17st 9-total loss 3st 7.5lb
    Slimmer of the month February , March ,April
  • mj12_2
    mj12_2 Posts: 281 Forumite
    edited 26 July 2011 at 7:30PM
    Not at all suprising really, as far as I can see only quadraplegics or people in a vegetative state are unable to do anything of any sort at all.

    There are umpteen studies to suggest that maintaining a level of activity (be it mental or physical) helps with healing and recovery too so getting 'disabled' people back to work should be good for them in the long run anyway.
  • The_White_Horse
    The_White_Horse Posts: 3,315 Forumite
    get these lazy good for nothings off the benefits. let them starve. scum.
  • get these lazy good for nothings off the benefits. let them starve. scum.

    have you renewed your bnp membership this year?
  • Wookster
    Wookster Posts: 3,795 Forumite
    I read that in the paper today. Its pretty appalling.

    Another one of Labour's marvellous legacies.
  • wotsthat
    wotsthat Posts: 11,325 Forumite
    Wookster wrote: »
    I read that in the paper today. Its pretty appalling.

    Another one of Labour's marvellous legacies.

    This is the result of successive governments desire to reduce unemployment numbers by the back door i.e. not count people 'unfit' to work.

    It started with invalidity benefit in 1971, succeeded by incapacity benefit in 1995, and then ESA in 2008.

    The ESA requirements are much more stringent that the previous schemes. The 1.3m tests carried out in the OP were in the main carried out under Labour administration - the legacy for the Conservatives is that they'll be able to claim credit for sorting out the over-spending when, in fact, the wheels were put in motion well before they arrived.
  • quantic
    quantic Posts: 1,024 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture Combo Breaker
    wotsthat wrote: »
    This is the result of successive governments desire to reduce unemployment numbers by the back door i.e. not count people 'unfit' to work.

    It started with invalidity benefit in 1971, succeeded by incapacity benefit in 1995, and then ESA in 2008.

    The ESA requirements are much more stringent that the previous schemes. The 1.3m tests carried out in the OP were in the main carried out under Labour administration - the legacy for the Conservatives is that they'll be able to claim credit for sorting out the over-spending when, in fact, the wheels were put in motion well before they arrived.

    Who cares which party gets the credit for this happening, long as it happens.
  • MacMickster
    MacMickster Posts: 3,646 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    While I appreciate the need to get the many fraudsters off this benefit, the tests involved which are finding people fit to work (eg "Can you sit for 30 minutes?" "Can you move from one seat to an immediately adjacent seat?") are declaring many people fit for work with conditions where no employer would want that person working for them, as they would not be able to provide regular and effective service.
    "When the people fear the government there is tyranny, when the government fears the people there is liberty." - Thomas Jefferson
  • SingleSue
    SingleSue Posts: 11,718 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    The headline figures need to be put into context, there have been numerous stories of those very disabled being found fit for work which has been overturned at tribunal, also there are short term claims where the claims would be stopped before tribunal anyway....for example, those where sick pay is not payable at work (or indeed, they may be claiming JSA and have an accident/shorter term illness) and they for example, needed to take a couple of months off with broken bones.

    ATOS has been found not quite fit for purpose with never ending stories of different information being entered into the one size fits all computer programme (it doesn't work well for variable illnesses like ME) than that given and proved at the 'medical' and medical information/evidence from specialists ignored.

    By the by, I have not had experience of ATOS personally...but I spend a lot of time on disability boards/with disabled people and some of the stories are horrendous.
    We made it! All three boys have graduated, it's been hard work but it shows there is a possibility of a chance of normal (ish) life after a diagnosis (or two) of ASD. It's not been the easiest route but I am so glad I ignored everything and everyone and did my own therapies with them.
    Eldests' EDS diagnosis 4.5.10, mine 13.1.11 eekk - now having fun and games as a wheelchair user.
  • macaque_2
    macaque_2 Posts: 2,439 Forumite
    Stephen_Hawking.StarChild.jpg
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