24 January 2006
Changes to the incapacity benefit system are needed to help more people back into employment, the PM has insisted.
A Green Paper will be published today which will show how the government plans to reform the scheme.
Most people moving onto incapacity benefit expect to get back to work but many did not do so, Tony Blair told his monthly press conference.
So changes were needed to "empower" them and liberate their talents.
It was only fair, he said, that the system offered benefits to those who needed them and help for those who wanted to return to employment.
The PM said great progress had been made on work and welfare reform in recent years.
He pointed out that there were more than 2.3 million more people in work, youth employment had been reduced and the UK had the highest employment rate in the G8.
You can find full coverage of the Welfare Green Paper on this website tomorrow.
delicious
digg
facebook
