£800m fund to get sick and disabled back to work

The
Government is to spend up to £800m a year to lure sick and disabled people back
to work.

Around
2.7 million Britons claim incapacity benefit, with 40 per cent of claimants
still on the benefit after a year.

The
Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has piloted a scheme which offers
claimants a £40 a week return-to-work credit if the individual earns less than
£15,000 a year and works at least 16 hours per week.

The
DWP hopes to expand the scheme nationwide if Labour wins the next general
election.

By Quentin Reade