I have often wondered why it is when we as a Nation spend so many billions of pounds each year on the NHS that apparently 2.6 million adults are incapable of work and therefore are claiming Incapacity Benefit.
Chris Grayling MP the Conservatives’ Spokesman on these matters has argued that he believes there must be in the order of 200,000 of these claimants who are not entitled to the benefit and ought to be in work. Today, even the Government’s own adviser on the matter has come out and effectively agreed with that view. A large majority of claimants have never had an independent medical assessment as to their capacity for work and that assessment must be an absolute top priority to start to get this matter under control.
One thought on “Incapacity benefit”
Comments are closed.
David Nuttall 
I think that the circumstances of all people on Long Term Incapacity Benefit should indeed be sensitively looked at. But, I do think that a cost-cutting axe job is highly inappropriate for a very vulnerable section of the community and paying private firms by result on the number of vulnerable people that can be tipped back into 19th century style poverty is a very worrying prospect.
I am 60 years old, a former solicitor and a former Headmaster, I left teaching after a major breakdown in my mental health resulting from the death of my youngest son in a road accident, teaching pressure/demands, and the need to care for my Father who suffered a major stroke and was incapable of feeding or washing himself. I became a prisoner of his Care needs and barely managed to get out of the house for more than 20 minutes at a time.
Eventually, in my darkest moment I attempted suicide and was dragged by a former pupil to Oxford John Radcliffe Hospital and spent about 4 days on a drip.
To look at me I look outwardly quite healthy and enjoy taking my two dogs for walks. My hair is gray and my left leg badly ulcerated from ciculation problems.
I wonder how a private firm would quantify my problems and if I would retain my Long Term Incapacity Benefit…..which is my only source of income.
My former pupil also arranged to buy a small cottage in France for me, and this is where I live, my finances after years of caring for my Father were in total disarray and I was about to be evicted from my Cotswold cottage for mortgage arrears.
Again, I wonder how a private firm would get me back to a meaningful job when I limp and shabble along……….
I do think that Incapacity Benefit should be examined carefully and I do not doubt that in my confident, Conservative 30’s I would have applauded these proposals. But, now I have seen the hard edges of poverty and been interviewed at Job Centres after waiting in long sad lines of clearly very disadvantaged people.
I am still a Conservative and attended many parties on the Westminster Terrace with MPs and Peers long dead, and my education is fairly similar to David Cameron who I regard as fresh air in politics today. I do hope that he realises that many people on Incapacity Benefit have given a lot to the UK in the past and are not necessarily work shy slobs.
My plea is for very great sensitivity on this issue.
Ralph Lawson-Wade
Ralph Lawson-Wade.