DWP says 200,000 disabled benefit claimants are ready to work
The findings, released on Thursday and based on a government survey, found that just under a third — 32% — of those claiming health and disability benefits believe they can work now or in future.
A total of 5% surveyed said that they would be ready now if the right job or support were available, equating to around 200,000 individuals.
Work and pensions secretary Liz Kendall said the figures were evidence of a broken benefits system.
While charities and campaigners like Scope have welcomed the renewed support to get disabled people better work opportunities, it told Yahoo News that 'cutting disability benefits pushes disabled people into poverty right away, and does not move them into jobs".
Recent reports have suggested the government wants to slash at least £3bn from the benefits bill, with a disability benefits green paper overhauling the system due in spring.
As part of this, a total of 424,000 fewer people are expected to be assessed as having limited capability for work by 2028/2029 as a result of reforms, accounting for the savings.
The government has repeatedly reiterated it will take a tougher stance on benefits, warning that it is the only G7 country where employment levels who have not returned to pre-pandemic levels. For health-related benefits, the bill has reportedly risen 40% in real terms since 2013.
However, this has sparked concern for disabled claimants who are reliant on the payments. Trust between the government and disabled people was said to be at an "all-time low", as a new report revealed that those claiming disability benefits wait on average 10 times longer for their calls to be answered by the DWP.
Work and pensions secretary Liz Kendall claimed the survey's findings indicate "serious" failures within the benefits system, which is "letting down" people with mental health conditions who want to work.
'People claiming health and disability benefits have been classed by the system as 'can't work' and shut out of jobs and have been ignored – when they've been crying out for support," she said.
'It's bad for people, bad for businesses, which miss out on considerable talent, and bad for the economy. For young people in particular, being out of work can have a scarring effect that lasts a lifetime."
Minesh Patel, Associate Director of Policy and Influencing at mental health charity Mind told Yahoo News the government's commitment to supporting people to get into work was "welcome", but that it has to be "accompanied with ensuring our benefits system adequately supports those for whom work isn't possible."
He said: 'We know there that are many people, including younger people, with mental health problems who would like to be able to work but don't have the right support available.
"Tailored, voluntary and holistic support is most effective in supporting people with mental health problems to enter and stay in work, and this must be at the heart of any future reforms.
'The DWP must also make good on its commitment to work with disabled people on reshaping the health and disability system," Patel added.
James Taylor, director of strategy at disability equality charity Scope, said that while the government getting people the support they need is "good", it is "imperative" that it "focuses its efforts on how to achieve this, instead of cutting the welfare budget."
"This research shows there are many out of work who could work if given the right support," he told Yahoo News.
Evan John, Policy Advisor at the national disability charity Sense, added that the research also found another stark statistic.
'The government's own research found three-quarters of disability benefit claimants are worried about being forced into jobs which will make their conditions worse," John told Yahoo News. "We therefore want to see assurances from the government that disabled people will not be pressured into unsuitable work for fear of losing their benefits," he said.
Sense also wants to see "better specialised support" for disabled people who can work, like assistive technology like screen readers in every Jobcentre, as well as training work coaches on the challenges disabled people face finding work.
"As the government develop the new jobs and careers service, putting accessibility at the heart of this is more important than ever," he added.
Merry Cross, a member of Disabled People Against Cuts, said this is not just a health issue, it's a funding issue.
"And which age-group within society is most likely to have mental distress? It's teenagers of course, the group that this and the last government most complain about for being out of work," she told Yahoo News.
"Yet the funding and resources for mental health services have been savaged over recent years, with a report by the Children's Commissioner in March 2024 stating that almost a quarter of a million children who had been referred for treatment in 2023 were still waiting."
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