Long-term sick ‘to get job protection’ under plans to cut DWP disability benefit bill
Brits who are signed off sick long term will be protected from losing their job under new plans put forward by the government.
According to a report by the I paper, under the government's plans to cut the benefits bill, employers will be encouraged to alert local employment services if they have a staff member whose work has been affected by a health issue. The employee would then be offered four or more months of specialist support to help them remain in their job.
The government said the voluntary programme – called the Connect to Work scheme – will focus on disabled people, those with health conditions, and people with “complex barriers to work”. The scheme will also offer similar support to people who are out of work. Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall announced the plans as part of a policy White Paper on tackling economic inactivity last week.
Writing in The i Paper, minister for social security and disability Sir Stephen Timms said the programme will help people “who are at risk of losing their jobs” and offer those looking for work “12 months with joined up health and work providers”. He said: "Our binary system, focusing solely on unemployment and employment, is not helping. We need a more bespoke service to unlock the opportunities of the future by addressing ever increasing health barriers."
He noted that people with mental health conditions often face a "fragmented support service which addresses any barriers individually". Instead, the new programme will give those looking for work an "all-encompassing service which addresses these problems together" as health and work are "intrinsically linked".
He added: “This will create more chances to intervene and help people start and stay in work – avoiding that devastating inactivity spiral. The current welfare system is too siloed and too centralised.”
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The scheme is set to cost around £115million and it has been described as a "revamped" version of the Tories Universal Support programme. This scheme was designed to offer more thorough careers guidance for complex cases. However, Labour's policy to set to be more flexible, led by local authorities, and tailored to individual needs.
Government sources said that someone signed off with a specific health issue, who is flagged as at risk of losing their job, would be offered bespoke support from an “employment specialist”. They would then be directed to local services that can help them manage their condition and advise their employer on what they can do to make the workplace a more inclusive environment. Further details of the plans are expected to be set out – alongside Labour's plans for health and disability benefit reforms – in the spring.
According to government figures, more than nine million people in the UK are classed as "economically inactive." This term describes someone who is not working or looking for work. Alongside this, 2.8million people are out of work due to long-term sickness. The government has set aside £240million to fund its "Get Britain Working" plan. The Mirror has approached the DWP for comment.
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