New changes which might be put in force by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) could mean that millions of sick and disabled people on benefits could still be able to claim sick pay after returning to work. As it stands, ESA and Universal Credit sickness and disability payments partly depend of what people's "capability" is to work.
But, ministers are reportedly looking into a new system that would allow people to keep claiming certain sick pay even if they have gone back to work. It comes as Tory MPs are planning a huge shake-up to millions of sick and disabled people's benefit payments.
The move could mean such 'fit for work' tests could soon be shelved, as it has been argued that they make people “prove how incapable you are”, reports the Mirror. There have also been reports of a potential for tax breaks for people who return to work.
For now, the plans remain vague and so far nothing has yet been finalised. However, speaking to The Times, a source said: "It's very much not the case that we'd be relaxing assessments so you could be perfectly fit and claiming.
“It will be more about being supported into work and supported to do the things you can do, rather than incentivised to prove how incapable you are." In 2021, a Green Paper proposed the merger of different payment into a "new single benefit", with "different priorities" to the system that's currently in place.
However, this raised concerns due to PIP (which is the UK's main disability benefit) being handed out to eligible people regardless of their wealth. In the wake of this, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) insisted there are “no plans” to means-test PIP.
This spring, more concrete plans are expected to be announced in a White Paper before the budget on March 15.
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