The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has begun a major initiative to contact two million people who claim sickness benefits and are not currently seeking employment. The move forms a central part of the government's strategy to reform the welfare system and address a significant rise in long-term sickness absence.
Scope of the DWP's Contact Campaign
The department is in the process of reaching out to everyone receiving long-term health-related support. This includes claimants of Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) and those on Universal Credit who have been assessed as having limited capability for work due to disability or long-term health conditions.
According to reports, ministers have described the increase in long-term sickness as "shocking" and have instructed job centres to make it a priority. In March alone, more than 100,000 people were signed onto these benefits because they were deemed too ill to work, equating to nearly 5,000 new claims for each working day of the month.
Government Aims and Charities' Concerns
The DWP has stated it is "fixing the broken welfare system" by providing tailored support to help people move into secure jobs. A key part of this plan involves the redeployment of 1,000 specialist work coaches to assist sick or disabled individuals who have been "left behind."
However, the initiative has been met with caution by disability advocacy groups. James Taylor, executive director of strategy at the charity Scope, emphasised that while proactive contact could be helpful, support must be optional. He warned that mandatory approaches could "push disabled people further away from work by creating unnecessary stress and fear."
Taylor highlighted that there are around one million disabled people in the UK who want to work but face barriers, including a lack of personalised support and a deep-seated distrust of the jobcentre system.
Broader Context of Welfare Reform
The contact campaign is unfolding alongside what the government calls "the most ambitious employment reforms for a generation." DWP boss Pat McFadden has previously refused to rule out further changes, including potentially ending health-related Universal Credit payments for claimants under the age of 22.
McFadden argued the current system is "unhealthy for people" and risks pushing up the benefits bill in the long term by not providing adequate help to those who could work. The government now faces the challenge of implementing these reforms while rebuilding trust with a community that feels let down by previous benefit cuts.
