Incapacity Benefit Reforms

[Ron Avery]

At the moment Incapacity benefit (IB) is paid to almost three million people and increasing the number of people in the workforce is an important part of the UK government's strategy to help pay for the UK pensions crisis.  It is being proposed that would be a new scheme for those with the most severe illnesses and another to get about one million claimants back to work

Judging by the number of posts on here about IB entitlements in France and E121's from people claiming IB,  more than a few of that 3 million now live in France.  When these reforms go through, it appears that unless the proposed legislation is changed, claimants will have to to go back to the UK and seek employment or lose some or all of their benefits 

Of course this will not affect those with the most severe illnesses who are so incapacitated so as not to be able to do any work, but as I understand it, you will no longer be able to claim full benefits if you can do other work.  So for example, does that mean that all those teachers who are receiving incapacity benefits for stress related illness or the window cleaner who has developed a fear of heights will have to find a job  that they can do,  even on the checkout at Tescos/ASDA or lose their payments.  From a very unscientific straw poll of people I know, it could affect 3/10 English people here