Work for benefits

Jul 16 2008 by Rob Merrick, Liverpool Daily Post

SHOULD the latest crackdown on Merseyside’s “welfare culture” strip benefit from alcoholics who refuse help to conquer their addiction and find work?

That is the question that will be posed by another welfare reform Green Paper – Labour’s seventh in just 11 years, by my count – to be unveiled next Monday.

Its big idea will be trumpeted as “choice” – hence, benefit claimants will choose between going to either a public, private or voluntary-run job centre in their area.

But Work and Pensions Secretary James Purnell will also polish his Blairite credentials, and head off Conservative attacks, by cracking the whip against the so-called workshy.

Therefore, a tougher work test designed to slash the numbers on incapacity benefit (IB) will be extended to existing claimants, instead of simply being used for new ones.

This assessment will remove IB from those who can, for example, walk more than 400 metres, stand for 30 minutes or climb 12 steps without the aid of a banister.

All 2.6m IB claimants will be tested to see if they can perform modern workplace tasks – such as using a computer keyboard, or a mouse – and should, therefore, receive less money from jobseekers’ allowance.

In the spotlight, inevitably, will be Merseyside, because it has more than 100,000 IB claimants – including one in seven working-age people in Liverpool and Knowsley.

However, early briefings on the proposals suggested Mr Purnell will go further – by taking benefit away from drug users who refuse to go on treatment courses.

The Work and Pensions Secretary ordered a review of lax benefit conditions immediately upon taking office, and has also said all claimants who need skills training must accept it.

Mr Purnell threatened: “We want a work culture, not a welfare culture, and we can only achieve this by reforming the system so that it demands personal responsibility.”

Few would argue with that. However, the logical extension of stripping benefit from drug users who shun treatment is to target another, much bigger addiction – alcohol.

Furthermore, I understand that Mr Purnell has considered putting the nation’s favourite drug on a par with coke, heroin and cannabis, with treatment a condition of benefit.

It may not be part of next Monday’s proposals, but the idea is definitely on the agenda.

As I said, it’s the next logical step.

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EX-LABOUR – now independent – MP Bob Wareing spoke from the heart when he condemned the treatment of nearly 300 staff made redundant from the famous Sayers bakery.

No surprise there, but the West Derby MP had a particular interest in the troubled company, telling MPs – “It made my wedding cake!”.