WHAT IS THE GOVERNMENT PLANNING NEXT?
The government completed its consultation process on the next phase of its welfare reforms on October 22nd 2008 and is now considering the responses.
Among the ideas being considered are:
Tightening the National Insurance contribution rules for Employment and Support Allowance, ESA.
Extending the existing requirement to attend for a work-focused interview to also require engagement in work-related activity or face benefit reductions.
Further increasing the conditions that claimants must fulfil and the penalties for non-compliance, the longer someone remains on benefit.
Requiring quarterly work-focused interviews for the first 2 years on claim.
Repeat Work Capability Assessments at a minimum interval of 2 years.
The introduction of a Work Focused Health Related Assessment as a follow up to the Work Capability Assessment during the assessment phase for ESA, to enable claimants to discuss with a health professional the type of work that might best suit them.
A new GP medical certification process for introduction in 2009.
Supplementing the medical assessment process with an assessment of the claimant’s working skills and requiring those with skills gaps to undertake training.
The removal of any automatic uplift in means tested ESA where the claimant is part of a couple if their partner is able to work, excluding partners who are carers or themselves in ill health or couples where there is a child under 7 or a child qualifying for Disability Living Allowance.
A requirement for those dependent on drink or drugs to enter a rehabilitation programme.
Greater use of private and voluntary sector providers of rehabilitation and re-training services for long term claimants.
Better co-ordination of and increased funding for public sector services such as Access to Work.
In a separate announcement, the government has also announced its intention to improve means tested mortgage interest relief from April 2009. This may entail increasing the size of the mortgage qualifying for interest relief from £100,000 to £175,000 and reducing the waiting period from 9 months to 3 months.
Although the government has still to announce its final plans in these areas, it is clear that whilst some benefits and services may be improved, the qualifying criteria to receive that support are likely to be progressively tightened.