Column: A case of transformation of the Minister of Persons with Disabilities

In this column, MP Tom Persgrove, Minister for Disability, Health and Labor, discusses upcoming changes to the benefits system, the biggest institutional reform of the last decade.

our Health and Disability White Paper, March 2023presents transformational cases that transform benefits systems to give more people with disabilities the confidence and support they need to work.

Our white paper, released in this Spring Budget alongside a broad range of policies to stimulate the economy, represents the biggest reform of the entitlement system in a decade.

These changes are important, and what we are doing to continue to protect those who are currently unable to work, and who want to enter the workplace, start working, stay in the workforce, and thrive. I would like to explain how we coordinate our assistance to help people.

A study by my department, DWP, found that 5 of those with Universal Credit (UC) or enrolled in an Employment Assistance Benefits Support Group were found to have limited work-related activities. It has been shown that 1 in 1 people would like to work someday. However, less than 1 out of 100 of hers get a job each month.

This presents additional challenges faced by persons with disabilities. And all too often benefits programs become barriers to employment because the focus is on what people can’t do, not what they can do. This has to change.

white paper

We originally presented the reform case in the 2021 Green Paper consultation. During that time, we heard from more than 4,500 people with disabilities and organizations about the challenges they face in accessing benefits and suggestions for how we can move forward.

The clear message I got from this feedback is that it can be more difficult for people with disabilities and health conditions to start, keep and succeed in work, and that employment can be challenging. There is a very real fear of losing benefits over time.

With this in mind, we will use our White Paper to reshape our benefits system to empower people to challenge their jobs with confidence, help them reach their potential and live independently. I decided to make it possible.

Rewiring fault evaluation

Our white paper headlines abolishing Work Competence Assessment (WCA) to remove economic barriers, so people can work where they can and without fear of losing benefits if it doesn’t work out. It was meant to be. ,

Empower people to approach their work with confidence. The new Universal Credit Health Element replaces the current Limited Ability to Work and Work-Related Activities (LCWRA) payments.

Our plan to abolish the WCA was widely welcomed by organizations and charities working with persons with disabilities. They know, as much as we do, how the current system can keep people from trying their hand at work.

We want to reassure people with disabilities and health conditions who have UC and are receiving Personal Independence Benefits (PIP) that the level of support they receive through our benefits program will not change. A financial safety net for low-income people who need it most.

For groups receiving LCWRA payments but not PIP, transition protections are in place to ensure that: By the time these reforms come into force, no one will experience any economic loss. The company plans to begin phasing reforms on new claims from 2026, and he expects the transition of existing claimants to the new system to begin in 2029 at the earliest.

We know other groups need help too. As such, we are already committed to financially protecting people currently being treated as LCWRAs due to pregnancy risk, or those who are seeking, undergoing, or recovering from cancer treatment. . Chemotherapy or radiation therapy.

As we move forward, we will also carefully consider whether other people currently undergoing the LCWRA component but not currently undergoing PIP have met the PIP assessment and eligibility criteria.

on-site support

New approaches to encourage more people with disabilities to work and advance in parallel with changes in benefits programs, learning from successful practices such as individualized placement and support systems in primary care and tailoring them to applicants’ circumstances. Employment support will be secured.

Centered around job center support, one-on-one conversations with work coaches help clients think about what they can do and build strong relationships based on trust. This allows work coaches to determine what, if any, work-related activities the client can participate in and, in some cases, to meet the client’s needs while recognizing that work may not be suitable for everyone. It is also useful to introduce an employment system tailored to

People will then be encouraged to try their hand at work as much as possible, on their own time.

Greater linkages with job centers also mean that if someone is unable to work or find a job, they will no longer be expected to do so in order to receive benefits.

This is the biggest welfare reform in a decade and we want to get it right. It is important to build trust and confidence in benefit systems as people apply for and receive assistance. So we will slowly roll out the changes based only on the new claims as we test and learn.

I will work with stakeholders, legislators and enabling readers to introduce legislation that will ultimately enable people with disabilities and health conditions to live independently and access work, and ultimately I look forward to expanding opportunities and improving lives.

Featured Image Credits: british parliament

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