4 October 2005
PILOT PROGRAMME PROVIDING BACK TO WORK HELP FOR PEOPLE ON INCAPACITY BENEFITS STARTS THIS WEEK
New measures to help people on incapacity benefits to get back to work will be introduced in three pilot areas in Northern Ireland this week.
'Pathways to Work' support measures, launched by the Department for Employment and Learning, will be piloted in Ballymoney, Lurgan and Magherafelt and will include:
Welcoming the new package to help people find and sustain a job, Employment and Learning Minister, Angela Smith, commented that: "Supporting the many individuals in Northern Ireland with health conditions or disabilities who want to work is a top labour market priority - there are now more than three times as many people on incapacity benefits as there are on Jobseeker's Allowance.
- making sure work pays - with a new Return to Work Credit of £40 a week; payable for a year for those earning up to £15,000;
- new work-focused rehabilitation services - provided jointly by the Health Service and the Department's Employment Service - to assist people to understand and manage their health conditions;
- early support from skilled Personal Advisers at Jobs & Benefits offices, including a series of work-focused interviews.
"Indeed nine out of ten people on incapacity benefits believe they will return to work at some stage, but four out of ten will still be on benefit a year later. By acting early we want to give people with moderate health conditions and disabled people the support they deserve, helping them to use their skills to find a job with a local employer.
"The pilots will give people help, tailored to their specific needs, provided by a specially trained personal adviser. Clearly there are some people who because of their health or disability are unable to work, but we need to ensure that those who are able to work are given the support to do so."
The Pathways to Work pilots demonstrate close co-operation between a number of Northern Ireland departments. While the Department for Employment and Learning is in the lead, the new measures have strong support and involvement from the Department for Health, Social Services and Public Safety; and the Department for Social Development, through the Social Security Agency.
The first three pilots start this week in Ballymoney, Magherafelt and Lurgan. They will run until March 2008 and be fully evaluated. The new support measures will be offered to existing incapacity benefits claimants as well as new claimants.
NOTES TO EDITORS: 1. The Department's Consultation Document 'Pathways to Work (IB Reform) Pilot Proposals for Northern Ireland' can be found on www.delni.gov.uk. 2. New incapacity benefits customers in the pilot areas will be asked to attend a work-focused interview with a specially trained Personal Adviser around eight weeks after the start of their claim. Those who would benefit from sustained support will be asked to attend a series of up to 5 additional interviews.
3. Support in the pilot areas will include new Condition Management Programmes for incapacity benefit claimants provided jointly with the Health Service.
4. Financial incentives will include immediate access to a discretionary fund of up to £300 to help take up a job and the Return to Work Credit of £40.00 per week.
5. Incapacity benefit claims will continue to be processed in the normal way by the Social Security Agency and will be paid where the existing rules are satisfied.
6. Press/media enquiries to the Department for Employment and Learning, Press Office on 028 9025 7790.
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