Monthly Archives: February 2014

New Health and Work Service to get long-term sick back to work

February 9, 2014   Carers, health

People off sick for more than four weeks are to be offered advice to get them back to work more quickly under a scheme being set up by the government.

The Health and Work Service, which will cover England, Wales and Scotland, will offer non-compulsory medical assessments, starting in April.

It will be run by the private sector and paid for by scrapping compensation to employers for statutory sick pay.

Ministers say employers will save money overall by having fewer staff off sick.

They said it may save companies up to £70m a year in reduced sickness pay and related costs.

No law change

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Woman denied sickness benefit despite life-threatening condition

February 8, 2014   Carers, disability

Last updated at 14:02, Friday, 07 February 2014

A Workington woman with a life-threatening heart condition is being denied sickness benefits because of Government assessment changes.

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NOT FIT TO WORK: From left, Damien and Jeanette Johnston with Jeanette’s mother Noelene Paisley

The case of Jeanette Johnston, 29, has been taken up by Workington MP Sir Tony Cunningham.

He has pledged to write to the Government to get her benefits reinstated.

Miss Johnston will ultimately need a heart and lung transplant and has already had a kidney removed.

Despite her health problems, she has received no disability benefits since August of last year.

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Housing benefit reforms 'could waste millions' in disability costs

February 6, 2014   benefits, Carers, ukcuts, Wales

6 February 2014 Last updated at 17:18

Wales & West Housing (WWH) said many disabled tenants may be forced to move because of the so-called “bedroom tax”

Changes in housing benefit payments affecting disabled people could cost the public purse millions of pounds in Wales, a housing association has said.

Wales & West Housing (WWH) said many disabled tenants may be forced to move because of the so-called “bedroom tax”.

It said it could result in millions more being spent adapting properties.

The UK government said it had given Wales £7.9m for a discretionary fund tenants could apply for but WWH said that may not be enough to cover costs.

Meanwhile, Welsh government said it was providing a further £1.3m so local authorities could provide more help to those affected by the reforms.

WWH, which manages 9,500 properties, said it wanted disabled people to be exempt from the housing reforms.

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The cost of new adaptations wipes out the potential savings in housing benefit for many years”

Shayne Hembrow Wales & West Housing

It said Wales was on track to “waste” millions of pounds of public money otherwise.

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