More than one third of the 141,100 people going through incapacity benefits reassessment have been found to be fit for work, according to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). The remaining 63 per cent of claimants were entitled to Employment and Support Allowance (ESA):

• Thirty-four per cent were placed in the Work Related Activity Group, where they will receive personalised help and support to help them prepare for a move into suitable work in the future.
• Twenty-nine per cent were placed in the Support Group and will receive unconditional financial support and will not be expected to work.

‘These first figures completely justify our decision to reassess all the people on incapacity benefits’, said Employment Minister Chris Grayling. ‘To have such a high percentage who are fit for work just emphasises what a complete waste of human lives the current system has been.’

The DWP accepted that the 37 per cent figure was likely to fall as it did not include the impact of appeals. Some 38 per cent of tribunal appeals have been overturned in the claimant’s favour.

For details of the Department for Work and Pensions statistics see the DWP website.