Press Release
Green Paper offers new hope with radical reforms
25 January 2005
National employment charity Shaw Trust, has welcomed the new Green Paper which aims to help a million disabled people get back to work.
The Incapacity Benefit Reform Green Paper aims to help the Government deal with the dilemma of having 2.4 million Incapacity Benefit claimants costing taxpayers some £7.1 billion a year. In a huge shake-up of the system, voluntary sector organisations are set to play a huge role in the national roll-out of the Pathways to Work scheme.
Shaw Trust's Chief Executive, Ian Charlesworth said:
"We are very pleased that the Government is providing a way for its voluntary sector partners to play a much wider role in enabling those claiming Incapacity Benefit to get back to work, or to break into the job market for the first time. We hope that we will at last have a real chance to help the 1.2 million who are currently economically inactive but who want to work.
"The real test will be in the implementation of these reforms. This is the biggest shake-up of the system since the introduction of the old Invalidity Benefit and these proposals will only be effective if they are backed up with the right support. We hope that the changes will be handled sensitively and explained clearly so that everyone can take advantage of the opportunities they offer."
Shaw Trust has already advised government on the best way to operate the Pathways to Work programme and played a leading part in establishing the Employment Related Services Association (ERSA).
In 2005 Shaw Trust supported a record-breaking 40,763 people disadvantaged in the labour market due to disability, ill health, or other social circumstances.
The Trust also delivers 33% of the government's Job Broking programme, part of the Government's New Deal for Disabled People which delivers a return to work service for those in receipt of incapacity and sickness benefits.
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