A report reveals for the first time the likely impact of the reforms to incapacity benefits that are currently underway. Researchers from the Centre for Regional Economic and Social Research Centre at Sheffield Hallam University calculate the headline total of 2.6m men and women on incapacity benefits is set to be cut by nearly 1m by 2014. Most of these will be existing claimants who will lose their entitlement. The report shows that, because of the reforms, 600,000 are set to be pushed out of the benefits system altogether, forcing a big increase in reliance on other household members for financial support. The research also shows that by far the largest impact will fall on the older industrial areas of the North, Scotland and Wales, where local economies have been struggling for years to cope with job loss and where the prospects of former claimants finding work are weakest. The report provides estimates of the impact of the reforms for every district in the country. Download a copy from the Sheffield Hallam website.
No comments:
Post a Comment