A manifesto set out recommendations for routes out of poverty for disabled people and their families.
Source: Tackling Disability Poverty: The Disability Manifesto 2009, Disability Alliance
Date: 2009-Dec
An article examined the situation of men and women aged under 60 claiming incapacity benefits (IB). There were significant differences in their characteristics and circumstances and in their routes on to IB. Academic debates needed to take into account the differences between women and men in order to reach a more complete understanding of the role of IB in the post-industrial economy.
Source: Peter Kemp and Jacqueline Davidson, 'Gender differences among new claimants of incapacity benefit', Journal of Social Policy, Volume 38 Issue 4
Links: Abstract
Date: 2009-Oct
Researchers examined new survey data on adults of working age who claimed disability living allowance (DLA) as well as incapacity benefits. They assessed the scope for re-engagement by claimants with the labour market. DLA claimants shared many characteristics with the wider stock of incapacity benefits claimants, and were strongly concentrated in the same places around the country, particularly the older industrial areas of the North, Scotland and Wales. The differences between DLA claimants and other incapacity claimants tended to be matters of degree, especially around health and disability. The report identified a sub-group with aspirations to return to work: in so far as DLA functioned as a top-up to incapacity benefits, a reduction in the number of incapacity claimants could be expected to lead to a reduction in the numbers claiming DLA.
Source: Christina Beatty, Steve Fothergill and Deborah Platts-Fowler, DLA Claimants: A New Assessment – The characteristics and aspirations of the incapacity benefit claimants who receive disability living allowance, Research Report 585, Department for Work and Pensions (0113 399 4040)
Links: Report | Summary | DWP press release
Date: 2009-Jul
Researchers examined the relationship between disability living allowance receipt and claimants' work expectations. Differences between claimants and non-claimants were explored in terms of work aspirations and socio-demographic characteristics. The analysis also explored respondents' perceptions of barriers to work, and of the things that might act as a 'bridge' back into work.
Source: Anne Conolly and Jon Hales, Disability Living Allowance and Work Expectations: Analysis of the NDDP Eligible Population Survey, Research Report 584, Department for Work and Pensions (0113 399 4040)
Links: Report | Summary | DWP press release
Date: 2009-Jul
A paper examined the processes underlying payment of attendance allowance in the older population. The results suggested that there were many potentially successful claims that were not pursued.
Source: Stephen Pudney, Participation in Disability Benefit Programmes: A partial identification analysis of the British attendance allowance system, Working Paper 2009-19, Institute for Social and Economic Research/University of Essex (01206 873087)
Links: Working paper | Abstract
Date: 2009-Jun
An article examined the replacement of incapacity benefit by employment and support allowance (ESA) for new claimants from October 2008. The introduction of ESA was a good example of the retrenchment of benefits for the majority of sick and disabled people. The ESA could be interpreted as creating a group of disadvantaged people through which the private sector could profit.
Source: Linda Piggott and Chris Grover, 'Retrenching incapacity benefit: employment support allowance and paid work', Social Policy and Society, Volume 8 Issue 2
Links: Abstract
Date: 2009-Apr
A study examined the feasibility of research into the impact of disability benefits – to find out what difference they made to claimants' care and mobility arrangements, to their overall standard of living, and to their social inclusion and sense of identity.
Source: Richard Berthoud, The Impact of Disability Benefits: A feasibility study, Working Paper 58, Department for Work and Pensions (0113 399 4040)
Links: Working paper
Date: 2009-Mar
The government announced that 20,000 severely visually impaired people would be entitled to receive the higher rate mobility component of disability living allowance, with effect from 2011. At existing rates, this would mean an additional payment worth £29 per week to those who qualify (£1,508 per year).
Source: House of Commons Hansard, Debate 17 March 2009, columns 784-876, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Hansard | DWP press release | Community Care report | BBC report
Date: 2009-Mar
An article examined the factors contributing to the growth in the number of people on incapacity benefits. The principal driver of numbers up to the mid-1990s had been inflow: but after that it had been the steep rise in 'average duration', from below four to more than six years. For women the lengthening time on the register mainly reflected a rise in short-term persistence (survival on the register from one to two years), although for men the increase in long-term persistence (survival on the register after two years) was more important. The authors discussed the likelihood that the government would achieve its target of reducing incapacity benefit numbers by 1 million by 2016.
Source: Michael Anyadike-Danes and Duncan McVicar, 'Has the boom in incapacity benefit claimant numbers passed its peak?', Fiscal Studies, Volume 29 Issue 4, Institute for Fiscal Studies (020 7291 4800)
Links: Abstract
Date: 2009-Jan
A report said that disabled people were at particular risk of fuel poverty, and faced worse health as a result. It recommended a series of measures, including extending winter fuel payments to disabled people of working age, to form part of an overall government strategy to tackle disability poverty.
Source: Clare Laxton and Guy Parckar, Fuel Poverty and Disability, Leonard Cheshire (020 3242 0200)
Links: Report | Leonard Cheshire press release | Community Care report
Date: 2009-Jan
Researchers reviewed the international literature on the extra costs of disability, and determined how that literature could contribute to an assessment of two disability allowance programmes in the United Kingdom – disability living allowance and attendance allowance.
Source: David Stapleton, Ali Protik and Christal Stone, Review of International Evidence on the Cost of Disability, Research Report 542, Department for Work and Pensions (0113 399 4040)
Date: 2009-Jan