Huge number of DWP disability and sickness benefit claimants stuck on NHS waiting lists

Commissioned by the Department for Work and Pensions, the investigation shows however important tackling the grounds backlog successful the wellness work is to reducing the UK's benefits measure and helping radical into work

Two successful 5 radical connected sickness and disablement benefits are stuck waiting for NHS treatment, according to the government's ain research.

Commissioned by the Department for Work and Pensions, the investigation shows however important tackling the grounds backlog successful the wellness work is to reducing the UK's benefits measure and helping radical into work.

It recovered 41% of radical connected cardinal benefits - including Employment Support Allowance - "were connected a waiting database for attraction for their wellness condition". The probe besides said 27% felt they mightiness beryllium capable to enactment successful aboriginal but lone if their wellness improved - expanding to 44% whose main wellness information was related to intelligence health.

Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall told ITV News: "I deliberation what the survey shows contiguous is that contempt each the myths, a batch of radical who are presently connected sickness oregon disablement benefits privation to work."

The Cabinet curate said she is determined to "act and enactment that enactment successful place", alternatively than "writing radical off" and "blaming them similar the past Conservative authorities did." She added: "I don't blasted radical for reasoning that they can't, due to the fact that they're stuck connected a waiting database for treatment.

"They haven't had the due enactment that they mightiness request from the occupation centre oregon the skills that they request to get the jobs, we've besides got to make much jobs successful the areas that request them most."

It comes arsenic ministers hole to unveil a large overhaul of sickness and disablement benefits adjacent period - with fears among charities and anxious Labour MPs of large cuts ahead. A greenish insubstantial volition beryllium published mounting retired the government's argumentation proposals.

In a cardinal code past week Rachel Reeves, the Chancellor, said the authorities volition soon "deliver cardinal betterment of our payment system". She added: "That includes looking astatine areas that person been ducked for excessively long, similar the rising outgo of wellness and disablement benefits."

But James Taylor, the manager of strategy astatine disablement equality foundation Scope, told The Mirror : "Disabled radical are pushing hard to get jobs, determination are a cardinal disabled radical who privation to enactment but are denied the opportunity.

“One of the reasons they are being held backmost is the unit our creaking heath attraction systems person been nether since the pandemic. Employer attitudes, inadequate backmost to enactment support, and harsh payment regimes besides play a important part. It’s imperative the authorities doesn’t chopped payment enactment and benefits successful these circumstances.”

Ms Kendall besides faced disapproval aft claiming immoderate radical who are connected benefits shouldn't beryllium and are "taking the mickey".

The foundation Turn2us, which supports radical facing fiscal insecurity, responded: “Language and headlines similar this substance fear, stigma, and suspicion, making it adjacent harder for radical to entree the enactment they need. People archer america they’re frightened of making a mistake, that they consciousness mislaid and helpless, and sometimes that they’ve fixed up connected making a claim."

Head of argumentation astatine the anti-poverty strategy Shelley Hopkinson said: “The absorption should beryllium connected the experiences of those of america who trust connected this support, not the fewer who exploit it. Instead of creating barriers, we request a strategy that offers security, dignity, and the enactment radical request to get by."