Wheelchairs in Whitehall

Article Abstract:

The United Kingdom government is seeking to reform disablement benefit due to an increase in claimant numbers at a time when society appears to have become healthier. Around 8% of the UK's potential labor force is in receipt of benefit for disablity or sickness, and spending on disability benefit has risen to an annual level of $40 billion. The government aims to encourage disabled people to work, and to restrict Incapacity Benefit to claimants who have made contributions to the national insurance system, with tapering payments for those with early retirement pensions of more than 50 pounds sterling weekly. There has been some opposition to these measures from the ruling Labor Party.

Political aspects, Disabled persons, Social security

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Making it work: unemployment policy

Article Abstract:

The UK will use 3 billion pounds sterling of a windfall tax to find ways to end long-term unemployment. The first step in the process was to solicit 35 businesses to find jobs for the young unemployed in exchange for subsidies. One plan provides four options to the 250,000 employable young people on welfare who have not had jobs in six months: private employment, a volunteer position, a job on an environmental task force, or full-time schooling. A second plan pays companies 75 pounds a week to employ someone who has been unemployed for two years. Economic benefits of the program are debated.

Unemployment Insurance, Prevention, Unemployment, Employment subsidies

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Ping pong

Article Abstract:

The British government aims to change disability benefit rules as part of a wide move toward welfare reform, and the House of Lords has opposed the changes. The changes involve tighter eligibility criteria, so that only those claimants with recent national insurance contributions and low alternative incomes are eligible. There is a need to focus more tightly on the genuinely disabled in order to prevent spending on disability benefit from rising, so the planned changes do not go far enough.

Social policy, Welfare reform, Disability evaluation

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