Perspective

The Ability Culture

Aiming to curtail Britain's “sicknote culture,” the Labour government will introduce a new test from October to check people's abilities rather than disabilities. The new disability test will not punish people but will help them back into work, work and pension said secretary Peter Hain.

The test is expected to get 20,000 people a year off sickness benefits and into work. “Everybody's individual circumstances need to be looked at. We want to help people. This is the point,” added Hain. “It is not about punishing people. I think those from the disability lobby, who are entitled to put their point of view, and I welcome that, are wrong to think that we are doing this as a form of punishment, this is not about that. This is about giving people opportunities because you are better off in work, the evidence shows that,” he added.

Around 2.7 million people claim the benefit for not being able to work costing taxpayers $12.5 billion every year. This includes almost 2,000 people, who are benefit because they are classed as too fat to work. They cost $4.4 million every year.

Latest figures have revealed that $2 billion was claimed for mental health complaints and $518 million for people whose ailments are “unknown and unspecified.” About 2,50,000 people claim $600 million for stress–related illnesses and 50,000 alcoholic claim $85 million. People suffering for acne claimed $100,000 and a similar amount was paid to 60 people with a “nail disorder.”

The new test will be introduced in October along with the new Employment and Support Allowance. Everyone applying for the new allowance will have to take the test, which will replace the current Personal Capability Assessment. The current test is weighted more towards a person's physical disability and bases itself around assessing people's incapability for work.

The new test will instead judge a person's ability to use a computer keyboard or a mouse.

Source: Calling in sick? Wait, UK to verify disability, Asian Age, New Delhi, 20 November 2007.