CONCLUSION
404. The Government has taken a bold step in its
declared 'aspiration' to reduce the incapacity benefits caseload
by one million within ten years. It will undoubtedly be a challenge
to achieve this but the Committee welcomes the Government's declared
intention and will continue to monitor future progress.
405. The strategy set out by the Government in the
Welfare Reform Green Paper requires further detailed work to achieve
a reform programme that is able to provide appropriate support
to ill or disabled people in moving from incapacity benefits into
work. Again, we urge that, in designing and clarifying the details
of the new Employment and Support Allowance and the range of support
to help disabled people move off incapacity benefits and into
work, DWP must work closely with all stakeholders including: employers,
local authorities, other Government Departments, private and voluntary
sector service providers, disabled people and disability organisations.
406. Finally, the Government's aspiration faces a
potential barrier in the scale of the efficiencies challenge faced
by DWP. The 2007 Spending Review presents an opportunity for
ensuring adequate funding of the welfare reform programme. We
hope the Department works closely with the Treasury to ensure
that sufficient funds for incapacity benefits reform, Pathways
to Work national roll-out and the full reform package are made
available. Given that the 2006 Budget announced 5% annual
reductions in the Department Expenditure Limit for the Department,
it is important that schemes which offer the potential for savings
over the long term, such as this one may, are not squeezed out.
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