benefits

Benefits change: What are the Universal Credit fears?

Sun, 09/09/2012 - 23:36 -- nick

Seventy organisations, most of which will be involved in implementing the biggest overhaul of the benefits system since the creation of the welfare state, have told MPs of their concerns about the government's plans.

BBC Radio 4's The World This Weekend has been shown the written evidence submitted to the House of Commons Work and Pensions Committee, which is examining the progress being made towards the implementation of the Universal Credit in the autumn of 2013.

Tags: 
universal credit
benefits
government

Watchdog finds 'weaknesses' in sickness benefit contract

Fri, 17/08/2012 - 13:21 -- nick

Auditors have found "weaknesses" in the contract between the government and Atos, the private firm paid to carry out fit-to-work medical assessments.

The contract underpins the Department for Work and Pensions's efforts to move people from sick benefits into work.

The National Audit Office said the DWP had failed to penalise Atos for "underperformance", and had not set "sufficiently challenging" targets.

Ministers said the terms of the contract were under "constant review".

Tags: 
Atos
benefits
DWP
fit-to-work assessment

Reviewer of fitness-to-work benefit tests to stand down

Mon, 30/07/2012 - 14:29 -- nick

The man in charge of reviewing the government's controversial fitness-to-work benefit assessments is to stand down, the BBC's Panorama has learned.

Professor Malcolm Harrington has called for a big overhaul of the process of testing claimants' ability to work to make it more "fair and humane".

He said ministers wanted a "fresh set of eyes" - but denied this was because of changes he had asked for.

Officials said he had only been recruited for a limited period.

Tags: 
benefits
ESA
Atos
work capability assessment

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