Ways to make a living

24/10/2008

For some disabled people, the chance to earn their own money and re-enter the workplace can offer an exciting opportunity. It can give a person the chance to socialise, increase their confidence and feel part of society again.

This summer the government announced proposals to get at least some of the 2.6 million people in this country on incapacity benefits back into work – half a million of whom live in social housing. Consultation on the plans closed this week.

And next week sees the start of more stringent medical assessments for people wishing to qualify for the new employment and support allowance, which will replace incapacity benefit and income support for new claimants.

The Department for Work and Pensions also plans to move existing claimants onto the new system between 2009 and 2013. Work and pensions secretary James Purnell trumpets the shift to a ‘simpler’ system that ‘rewards responsibility, gives people the incentive to do the right thing and ends the injustice of people being written off on benefits for life without any hope of getting the support they need to get back to work’.

But there are concerns that the plans do not offer adequate support to help individuals back to work. And, some argue, the role social landlords could play has been overlooked. DWP figures show that of the 500,000 people on incapacity benefit who live in social housing, 300,000 are in council homes and 200,000 in housing association accommodation.

Vulnerable tenants

Most agree that getting people off benefits and back into work can be beneficial. But are ministers going the right way about it?

Jean Martin, an experienced officer in Southwark Council’s sustain team, which supports vulnerable tenants, says: ‘I can see it’s going to create a lot of issues. One of the worries for me is a lot of people are going to feel intimidated and pressured back into work.

‘Some are already unwell, especially people who suffer from mental health issues – they will be harder hit. They are now in a place that can manage their illness – they could be made more ill because of this pressure to attend workforce interviews.’

‘Access to work’ is a government programme to help people on incapacity benefit into jobs. This funds support such as transport costs, a support worker, specialist equipment and training.

The DWP says it will double the scheme’s funding to £138 million by 2014. But there are fears that support workers and those doing the new assessments will not have adequate specialised knowledge – particularly in the area of mental health.

Ruth Phillips, assistant director of the Richmond Fellowship, which helps people with mental health issues, believes the numbers on incapacity benefit could actually rise. ‘People doing the assessments and support won’t have the specialist knowledge organisations such as ours have,’ she says.

‘The generic support offered will be able to support people with low-level mental health problems but not those most vulnerable – on medication, or with schizophrenia. There is a danger the number of people on incapacity benefit could rise from 40 to 50 per cent.’

The Richmond Fellowship lobbied the government to be involved in Access to work, but was turned down. Ms Phillips adds: ‘We are in favour of all sorts of people with disabilities going into work. But in terms of how people’s disabilities will be reviewed, this government is driving towards the punishment route.

‘It puts pressure on people to engage in programmes, otherwise there is a threat to benefits.’

Dan Norris, a welfare rights coordinator for Southwark Reach – part of homelessness charity Thames Reach – which offers support to vulnerable people, also thinks the government should offer a ‘carrot as well as a stick’.

‘Access to work is not adequate,’ he says. ‘It’s not getting people into work now. Just cracking the whip is not going to work. Not everybody out there is craving to get work. A lot of people on incapacity benefit will just slide onto jobseeker’s allowance and just say they are looking for work.’

He adds: ‘The support has to be there. Forty per cent on incapacity benefits claim depression or bad backs and there’s an idea that going back to work is a cure. But people with depression find going back to work terrifying and will only go back if there is help.’

He believes employers also need incentives to take people on who have ‘gaps in their CV’ because they are ‘there to make a profit’.

Vanessa Stanislas, chief executive of Disability Alliance, echoes these concerns. ‘We are not opposed to disabled people going into work, if the support is appropriate,’ she says. ‘There’s a danger of having a target to get people off incapacity benefit and people being encouraged or forced into work that is not appropriate to them. 

There’s a potential to grow confidence but for some there might be a devastating affect. If someone with a serious mental health impairment is encouraged to work in a job they are not ready for, or perhaps do not get the support, they will not be able to stay in that job and will be back to benefits.’

She also believes salaries have to be such that it pays to work rather than continue on benefits.

Phil Morgan, chief executive of the Tenant Participation Advisory Service (England), believes ministers are channelling their energies in the wrong direction. ‘The government is still thinking in silos,’ he argues. ‘If money is made available to help communities it is given to local authorities. They do not do anything to support local housing. It would be a great idea if they would work with local landlords.’

Mr Morgan mentions several housing associations which run successful schemes getting people back into work and feels the government should encourage others to do the same.

Richard Capie, director of policy and practice at the Chartered Institute of Housing, is in favour of the plans. But he agrees housing providers are well-placed to help people back to work – and advise on the process.

‘This is about potential opportunities,’ he says. ‘No one wants to be sitting at home. Everyone has their ambitions and aspirations. It’s how you unlock those opportunities with the most appropriate support. Housing organisations are already doing a lot to open up opportunities.’

He adds: ‘Housing provision is not just about providing somewhere affordable to live it’s also about helping individuals realise their potential. If you are reviewing benefit status you need to have the best quality information and you are probably going to get that from the people working with them [people on incapacity benefit] on a day-to-day basis’.

A DWP spokesperson says there is no intention to force people into work.

‘Many people with health conditions or disabilities tell us that they want to work,’ she says. ‘It is not our intention to force anyone back to work when they are not ready. We want to help people manage their condition and provide the right support so they are able to work.

‘We also want to provide employers with the occupational health advice they need to be able to employ people with mental health problems, in a healthy working environment.’

Evidence of whether the new medical assessments will work for claimants applying for employment and support allowance should emerge in the coming weeks, with a white paper outlining plans to move existing applicants onto ESA due before the end of the year.

If it goes ahead, it will take another few years before the effects, both on individuals and their landlords, of totally abolishing incapacity benefit and income support are known.

But, so far, there seems little guarantee the assessments of who is suitable to work will be infallible – nor whether the support disabled people get in the work place will be good enough to help them stay there.