25th January 2006
UnumProvident, the UK's leading disability insurer has today commended the Government's Green Paper on welfare reform, stating that it is pleased that the Incapacity Benefit system is being considered for reform and supports the Government's long-term aim of getting 80 per cent of the working age population into employment.
The insurer has previously campaigned for this type of reform, believing that the system to date has been overly complex for claimants, too slow to respond to conditions when they are in their infancy and does not provide sufficient incentive for people seeking a sustainable return to work.
Joanne Hindle, Corporate Services Director at UnumProvident, said:
Firstly, we are pleased that the name of the benefit has changed - to Employment and Support Allowance - as it more accurately sets the tone for how the benefit is perceived.
We also welcome the Government's commitment to pilot providing employment advisers in GP surgeries. Currently, our Research Centre in Cardiff is piloting improvements in the competency, training and engagement process of GPs with incapacitated patients who want to return to work.
We also warmly welcome the £360 million investment in a national roll-out of the Pathways to Work scheme, which, in pilot, has been an undoubted success, demonstrating that it is possible for many claiming incapacity benefit to get jobs with the right help and support, including early intervention and rehabilitation assistance. Our own rehabilitation model has consistently shown that early and proactive intervention is the key to getting people back to work, and more ideally, avoiding long periods of sickness absence in the first place.
Finally, UnumProvident welcomes the recognition of the Work Place Health Connect Initiative that employers, particularly small employers, need support to take on disabled staff and be more involved in job retention. Similarly, making benefits more flexible to accommodate those with fluctuating or intermittent capacity, particularly those with Mental Health issues, would also greatly assist in keeping and getting such people into work.
In response to the Government's stated wish to work in partnerships with employers, employees, health professionals and insurers to develop a comprehensive package of support which develops healthy workplaces, retains employees in work, and maximises the effectiveness of healthcare in rehabilitating people, UnumProvident stands ready to work alongside the Government in resolving many of the challenges outlined in the Green Paper.
Indeed, the insurer has long campaigned for the removal of the many barriers faced by disabled people who want to work, and contributed to the development of the Green Paper, by providing verbal and written evidence in support of these initiatives.
ENDS