'Fulfilling Potential?' is a new report by Catherine Hale, co-published by Mind and The Centre for Welfare Reform, it outlines the abject failure of the Government's back-to-work programme.
The report describes the experience of those sick and disabled people who are put into the 'Work Related Activity Group' in order to help them find work. The report found:
- People didn't get support to find work
- Were sanctioned for failing to do things that are impossible to do
- Were left fearful, anxious, depressed, further from work
The current system for supporting disabled people to find work is a failure because it is based on false assumptions about what gets in the way of employment. In addition increasing efforts by Government to cut the incomes of disabled people in the name of ‘austerity’ has made a bad policy even worse. One of the few bright lights in an increasingly dismal landscape has been the work of disabled people, like Catherine Hale, to develop high quality researchto hold Government to account. It is only when Government learns to really listen to and respect the wisdom of disabled people and those who are sick that we will begin to get back on the right track. Dr Simon Duffy, Director, the Centre for Welfare Reform. You can download a copy of the report here http://tinyurl.com/os2vdzu