Government takes a tough stance on disability benefits

The
Government aims to wean more people off disability benefit and into work by
introducing fixed period awards, the secretary of state for work announced this
morning.

Alistair
Darling wants to make disabled people reapply for benefit at least every three
years although the exact details will not be known until the welfare reform
bill in the autumn.

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The
fixed period awards will affect the one million new claimants who apply every
year.

Estimates
suggest that only a third of claimants will never be able to work again, while
the conditions of the majority, such as those recovering from car crashes or
accidents, may improve sufficiently for them to return to work. Incapacity
benefit is currently claimed by 2.3million.