Medical Test for Disability Benefits To Be Scrutinized

An urgent review into a new medical test for disability benefit is being conducted by Chris Grayling, Great Britain’s work and pensions minister, after recent figures demonstrated only 6% of those tested were found totally incapable of working.

According to guardian.co.uk, the figures, covering all new claims from October 2008 through November 2009, indicate 39% are found fit for work and 37% drop their claims prior to completion of the assessment. The figures are reportedly widely out of line with estimates initially made by officials from the Department for Work and Pensions.

The figures suggest either tens of thousands of disability benefit claimants are not as ill as they claim, or something is wrong with the way the tests are being applied. (WCxKit)

So far the tests applied only to new claimants for the employment support allowance, the successor benefit to incapacity benefit. However Ministers are planning to test the nearly 1.6 million people already on incapacity benefits over the next three years.

A new scrutiny group set up by Grayling met for the first time recently to advise him on claimants. Its members believe the tests are not applied with sufficient flexibility. The scrutiny group is due to report by the end of the year with proposals for reform to medical tests.

Paul Farmer, Mind’s chief executive and a member of the scrutiny panel, welcomed the Grayling review in his comments to guardian.co.uk. “Simplistic use of the basic figures failed employment support allowance (ESA) applications only serve to fuel the negative rhetoric around benefits, which in itself can have a devastating impact on people with mental health problems who find themselves labeled as ‘benefits scroungers’ regardless of their genuine needs,” Farmer said.

Grayling defended the principle of the tests, telling the publication, “Nothing has been done about the 2.2 million people that have been on IB (Incapacity Benefits). Many of them have not been seen or been in contact with the state for a very long time.

“They have been on the fringes of society being paid benefits every month but actually with no help, guidance or support at all. Our plan is to put 1.6 million of these people through an independent medical assessment between 2011 and 2014. It is a huge challenge and has never been attempted before.” (WCxKit)

The remainder – approximately 600,000 – will not be tested since they are due to reach retirement age before the test can be applied to them. Those found fully capable of working are put straight on to jobseeker’s allowance. Those found potentially capable of work are placed into a higher rate form of employment support allowance.

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