Grasping the nettle of Incapacity Benefit

The government is planning to introduce a new test for incapacity benefit. Commentary from groups representing disabled people has been almost universally hostile, and there are no doubt very real fears that pressure may be put on vulnerable people to take a job when they are not really able to cope. People with mental health problems and certain conditions with symptoms of varying intensity are likely to be most affected.

Currently, some 2.64 million people receive incapacity benefit; a figure significantly augmented by unspoken government policy over the years to keep unemployment figures at a respectable level by encouraging greater take up of incapacity benefit. In areas where jobs are in short supply, it is not unknown for as many as one in five of the working age population to be in receipt of this benefit.

Clearly, this nettle had to be grasped, and the government has been promising to do so for some time. I find the principle of introducing a test that focuses on what an individual can do, rather than what they can't, wholly admirable. It is surely right to work from a presumption of ability, rather than adopting a patronising attitude that people with disabilities are unable to make a contribution.

Since the Disability Discrimination Act became law, we have seen attitudes slowly changing. Businesses are much more aware of the needs of disabled consumers, and while the situation is far from perfect, it is significantly easier now for individuals with a range of impairments to access goods and services without a struggle. Places of work and education are required not to discriminate on the grounds of disability - if we make the case, rightly, to employers that disabled people have a lot to offer, surely we must apply the same criteria to judging the capabilities of an individual who is currently not in work.

All the research shows that people who work enjoy better health and well-being than those who remain on benefits for an extended period of time. And it is a fact that anyone who spends two years on incapacity benefit is more likely to retire or die than to find a job. This has to be changed.

When I wrote recently about the dangers of positive discrimination, the response was pretty mixed, with a number of disabled people saying that they found it so hard to get a job, they'd take any assistance that was offered. I still believe that the risks inherent in ringfencing jobs for individuals with disabilities outweigh any benefits, but at the same time, society must work to remove obstacles in the path to employment. A test that focuses on abilities, rather than incapacities, allied to a support system that will genuinely assist individuals in obtaining the skills and confidence they need to return to work, is surely a step in the right direction.