Prime minister suggests all those on sickness benefits should look for work

The prime minister has suggested that all claimants of long-term sickness benefits will be expected to look for work under his government’s plans to reform social security.

Sir Keir Starmer made his comments in a BBC interview that was broadcast yesterday (Wednesday), and if they translated into government policy they would demonstrate a significant tightening of the rules on out-of-work disability benefits.

There are currently more than 1.5 million disabled people on universal credit who are not expected to carry out any work-related activity because of a significant impairment or health condition, and about 1.3 million more in the equivalent employment and support allowance support group.

Sir Keir appeared to be suggesting – although it is possible that he misrepresented his party’s policy – that every one of these people should be looking for work.

Labour ministers, including the prime minister, should already be aware that the deaths of countless disabled claimants of out-of-work benefits have been linked to attempts to force them into work or work-related activity over the last 15 years.

Just one example is Alan McArdle.

He died from a fatal heart attack in August 2015 after being told DWP was threatening to sanction his benefits.

The US outsourcing giant Maximus had reported him for failing to attend appointments intended to move him towards work, despite being told about his severe ill-health.

Another example is Roy Curtis, who took his own life six days after being told to attend a WCA, despite DWP being repeatedly warned its actions had made him suicidal.

Sir Keir was responding to a question from the BBC’s Nick Robinson, who asked if he believed that “those who are out of work, who may think that they can’t work, that the country has a right to expect that they look for work, they do everything they can to get work” and that this was “the sacrifice they need to make”.

In response, the prime minister said: “Well, yes, of course.

“In relation to long-term sickness, which is at very high levels, then of course people need to look for work. But they also need support.”

He also said that the “basic proposition, that you should look for work, is right”.

He added: “There will be hard cases. But the way I would do it is to say, yes, that’s the basic proposition.”

Under the current rules, DWP accepts that many disabled people are not able to work or even carry out work-related activity, and they are provided with extra financial support to recognise the extra barriers they face.

Sir Keir’s comments appear to contrast with those made by his own work and pensions secretary, Liz Kendall, who attempted at conference to stress that she would focus on providing “more positive support in the community” and would take a “completely different approach from the Conservatives”.

She told a fringe meeting earlier in the week (see separate story) that she wanted to change the “culture of fear” among claimants that they could lose their benefits if a job did not work out.

She told the event: “What the Tories did was write people off, blame them to grab an easy headline and then make their lives miserable.

“They talked about shirkers, and it seems to be the only people shirking their responsibility were the Tories.

“If what they did was successful, we wouldn’t have a record number of people out of work due to long-term sickness.”

Picture: Sir Keir Starmer delivering his main speech to conference on Tuesday

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