Two reports summarised employers' experiences of working families' tax credit and disabled person's tax credit. Almost half (46 per cent) of employers said payroll administration of the tax credits was very easy to manage. In all, 9 in 10 said it was either very easy or quite easy to run, and only 2 per cent found it very difficult .
Source: Rosemary Athayde, Robert Blackburn, Mark Hart and John Kitching, Working Families' Tax Credit and Disabled Person's Tax Credit: The views, attitudes and experiences of employers, Research Report 3, Inland Revenue (020 7438 6420) | Nick Coleman, Mark Peters, Alex Bryson and Helen Bewley, Working Families Tax Credit and Disabled Person s Tax Credit: Survey of employers, Research Report 4, Inland Revenue
Links: Report 3 (pdf) | Report 4 (pdf) | Appendices to Report 4 (pdf) | Inland Revenue summary (pdf)
Date: 2003-Dec
A report set out the results from a representative survey of 1,315 recipients of the disabled person s tax credit conducted during 2001. Almost 80 per cent of respondents had found the tax credit they received to be either essential (43 per cent) or very helpful (36 per cent). About a third (32 per cent) reported that it had allowed them to work, or had made work more worthwhile financially, either for themselves or their partner. A second report, summarising qualitative research, showed that for some people the credit had increased their personal and financial security, enabled them to do suitable work, helped to meet the costs of childcare, and increased the income flow towards children. But levels of understanding of the main structural features were fairly low, and some structural and administrative elements were perceived negatively - including employer involvement, the overall effect of tapers and interactions with housing benefits, and the way in which people were asked to demonstrate disadvantage at work.
Source: John Atkinson, Nigel Meager and Sara Dewson, Evaluation of the Disabled Person s Tax Credit: Survey of recipients, Research Report 6, Inland Revenue (020 7438 6420) | Anne Corden and Roy Sainsbury, Evaluation of the Disabled Person s Tax Credit: Views and experiences of recipients, Research Report 5, Inland Revenue
Links: Report 6 (pdf) | Report 5 (pdf) | Inland Revenue summary (pdf)
Date: 2003-Dec
An article said the damages that courts awarded to people involved in accidents failed to compensate them fully for the loss of future earnings.
Source: Richard Lewis, Bob McNabb, Helen Robinson and Victoria Wass, 'Loss of earnings following personal injury: do the courts adequately compensate injured parties? , Economic Journal, Volume 113 Issue 491, Royal Economic Society (0117 983 9770)
Links: RES press release (pdf)
Date: 2003-Nov
A report examined how ethnic minority claimants who were either disabled or caring for a disabled person experienced the benefits system. It focused on non-English speaking claimants especially Asian women and the ways in which the benefits system disadvantaged them because of their ethnicity, language and literacy skills, social isolation, cultural attributes and gender. It identified a number of 'serious deficiencies' in the existing system.
Source: Out of Sight: Race inequality in the benefits system, Disability Alliance (020 7247 8776)
Links: Summary
Date: 2003-Nov
The National Audit office said that arrangements for the medical assessment of benefit claims had improved since a previous report in 2001. Speed of processing, the standard of medical reports and the quality of service provided were all better. However, the government and its contractor could learn more from the results of appeals, work to obtain better evidence, and deal with overbooking appointments and customers failing to attend.
Source: Progress in Improving the Medical Assessment of Incapacity and Disability Benefits, HC 1141 (Session 2002-03), National Audit Office, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Report (pdf) | Appendix (pdf) | Summary (pdf) | NAO press release
Date: 2003-Oct
An article questioned the need for disability categories in the social security system. It argued that disability categories were problematic: the evidence on which decisions had to be made was complex, and understandings of the nature of disability were highly contested. It suggested that disability categories could be reformed by unification with other categories used in the same policy area (such as unemployment) or by fragmentation into new, smaller categories, particularly through the use of casework.
Source: Deborah Mabbett, 'Why have disability categories in social security?', Benefits, Volume 11 Number 3
Links: Article (Word file) | Abstract
Date: 2003-Oct
An article examined what was achieved by introducing the disability working allowance. It considered the stated objectives and other evidence about what was behind the policy, including the aims of those who lobbied government on 'partial capacity'. (Disability working allowance was introduced in 1992 as a benefit to top up the wages of disabled people working 16 hours a week or more.)
Source: N. Cockett, 'Disability Working Allowance: what was the point?', Benefits, Volume 11 Number 3
Links: Abstract
Date: 2003-Oct
A private member's Bill was introduced to give free bus passes to pensioners and disabled people in England.
Source: Joyce Quin MP, Transport (Concessionary Fares) Bill, TSO (0870 600 5522) | House of Commons Hansard, Debate 16 September 2003, columns 721-722, TSO
Links: Hansard
Date: 2003-Sep
Two reports provided findings from a pilot (in Sheffield and Rotherham in 2002) which tested an alternative method of collecting medical evidence for the personal capability assessment for incapacity benefit claims (evidence was taken directly from family doctor case notes rather than relying on a written report). It was found that the additional information sometimes raised questions about the client's eligibility, causing more cases to be referred for examination. Clients who participated in the pilot were 3 per cent more likely to be disallowed benefit following their assessment than those who did not.
Source: Roy Sainsbury, Anne Corden and Naomi Finch, Medical Evidence and Incapacity Benefit: Evaluation of a pilot study, Research Report 189, Department for Work and Pensions (0113 399 4040) | Simon Marlow and Joe McLaughlin, Evidence Gathering Pilot: Quantitative analysis, In-House Report 119, Department for Work and Pensions
Links: Report 189 | Summary 189 (pdf) | In-House Report 119 (pdf) | DWP press release
Date: 2003-Jul
The government gave a commitment to offer alternative methods of collecting benefits and pensions to people unable to access automated machines at post office counters. (From April 2003 all pensioners and benefit claimants were able to collect their money using keypads in post offices, as part of the phasing out of order books and Giro cheques. Campaigners had raised concerns over the ability of disabled and older people to use the new system.)
Source: The Guardian, 21.5.03
Links: Guardian report
Date: 2003-May
Campaigners expressed concern that changes to the way pensions were paid would undermine the ability of a person with dementia to remain independent. They said that a system based on bank accounts with personal identification numbers was ill-suited to people with dementia who faced severe memory problems; and that people with dementia had great difficulty using new technology such as swipe cards.
Source: Press release 25.4.03, Alzheimer's Society (020 7306 0606)
Links: Press release
Date: 2003-Apr
From 1 April 2003 invalid care allowance was renamed 'carer's allowance'.
Source: Press release 31.3.03, Department for Work and Pensions (020 7712 2171)
Links: Press release
Date: 2003-Apr
The government announced that a review would be conducted in order to provide an up-to-date picture of the level of fraud and error in disability living allowance.
Source: Oral evidence 3.3.03 by Richard Mottram (Permanent Secretary at Department for Work and Pensions), Session 2002-03, HC488-i, House of Commons Public Accounts Select Committee, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Uncorrected evidence
Date: 2003-Mar
The Social Security Advisory Committee began consultation on government proposals to tighten the definition of 'exceptional circumstances' where a person with insufficient points under the personal capability assessment (for incapacity benefit and certain others) may be treated as incapable of work. (This followed a Court of Appeal judgement on 8 November 2002.) Campaigners reportedly called the proposals 'sneaky', and said that some people, such as those with mental health problems, could fail the assessment but still be unable to work because a secondary factor, such as stress, triggers their condition.
Source: Press release 10.3.03, Department for Work and Pensions (020 7712 2171) | Community Care, 18.3.03
Links: DWP press release | Memorandum to SSAC | Community Care article
Date: 2003-Mar
A report, based on the experiences of disabled people in Scotland, called for more and better advice services for disabled people. It said that 97 per cent of people found the application forms for disability living allowance difficult to complete.
Source: The Struggle for Disability Living Allowance, Disability Agenda Scotland, available from Scottish Association for Mental Health (0141 568 7000)
Links: Report (pdf) | Summary
Date: 2003-Mar
A report examined the effects on disabled people of the loss of their disability benefits while in hospital. It argued that the period before disability living allowance and attendance allowance are withdrawn should be extended from 4 to 13 weeks to bring these benefits into line with other benefits; and that the rule under which odd days in hospital are added together should be scrapped and only substantial periods of 4 weeks or more taken into account.
Source: Withdrawing Benefit from Sick People: How not to aid the recovery of disabled people in hospital, Disability Alliance (020 7247 8776)
Links: Report (pdf)
Date: 2003-Feb
Responding to a government Green Paper on incapacity benefit recipients, campaigners argued that a proper level of financial support for those out of work is essential if people are to remain socially included and to provide a suitable platform from which people can engage in jobsearch and training activities.
Source: Pathways to Work: Helping people into employment - Response, R36, Disability Alliance (020 7247 8776)
Links: Response (pdf) | Green Paper (pdf)
Date: 2003-Feb
Researchers found that the extra costs of living associated with disability are substantial, especially for disabled people living alone, and that these costs rise with severity of disability. They concluded that the problem of low income amongst disabled people may therefore have been significantly underestimated.
Source: Asghar Zaidi and Tania Burchardt, Comparing Incomes When Needs Differ: Equivalisation for the extra costs of disability in the UK, CASEpaper 64, Centre for Analysis of Social Exclusion/London School of Economics (020 7955 6679)
Links: Paper (pdf) | Abstract
Date: 2003-Feb