Budget will encourage disabled people back to work

Wednesday’s budget will see Chancellor Jeremy Hunt encouraging disabled people back into employment to give a boost to the dwindling economy crisis.
The “back-to-work Budget” will terminate the current system which was put into place to assess people determining if they are eligible for sickness benefits.
According to the Treasury claimants will be permitted to continue to receive their payments after returning to work.
The change will assure people they will still be entitled to benefits if they find employment.
A new process is expected to ask claimants, such as the over 50s, people with long-term sickness and disabled people, to demonstrate which roles they would be capable of.
But the proposed plan has been criticised by disability equality charity Scope who warn that “disabled people shouldn’t be forced into unsuitable work”.
Hunt said: “For many people, there are barriers preventing them from moving into work – lack of skills, a disability or health condition, or having been out of the jobs market for an extended period of time.
“I want this back-to-work Budget to break down these barriers and help people find jobs that are right for them.
“We need to plug the skills gaps and give people the qualifications, support and incentives they need to get into work. Through this plan, we can address labour shortages, bring down inflation, and put Britain back on a path to growth.”
Other measures in the budget include:
– Stricter requirements for claimants who care for children to hunt for work or take on more hours.
– An increase in the minimum earnings threshold needed to avoid regular meetings with a work coach from the equivalent of 15 to 18 hours a week. The partner of a working person will also now be required to look for a job.
– An increase in the threshold of a universal credit claimant’s earnings under which they must meet regularly with a work coach from an equivalent of 15 to 18 hours a week. Partners of working people will also be forced to seek a job.
– A ramping-up of sanctions for claimants who do not look for or take up employment.
[ The word "exchequer" comes from the Latin "scaccarium" meaning a chessboard. ]