JGP News

Elements of the government’s Welfare Reform Bill will present different challenges when introduced to London, according to a report.

Planned changes to the way in which incapacity benefits are awarded could present unique problems to the capital, the London Assembly’s economic development, culture, sport and tourism committee has claimed according to ePolitix.

Because London is currently home to a higher proportion of working-age people claiming such financial help - 300,000 people - than other areas in the UK, the committee has raised concerns about the goal of getting one million people back to work within a decade.

Chair of the committee Dee Docey told ePolitix that in order for such a target to be met, “there must be jobs for them to go to and an end to discrimination against hiring disabled people.”

Suggesting that service users from the community work with providers in order to meet the “distinctive” difficulties that implementation of this central part of the bill in London may create, Ms Docey added: “It’s all very well calling for welfare reform, but in practice it requires a great deal of thought and preparation, and not enough of either is on offer.”

Mental health charity Rethink highlighted anticipated problems with the bill prior to its publication in July last year, pointing out that stigma towards mental illness and disabilities would mean asking people “to go through a locked door”.

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