Long-term sick told: “Get a job”

Friday 20 February 2015

A new crackdown will see some Islanders on long-term sickness benefits being told to try harder to find work if they want to keep their Income Support payments.

Social Security Minister Susie Pinel says that she wants to make sure that living on benefits does not become “a lifestyle choice” for some Islanders, and says that there will be financial sanctions against some claimants if they don’t comply with the new rules.

Long-Term Incapacity Allowance (LTIA) and Income Support are separate benefits: LTIA is a health-based payment that is based just on a clinical assessment of the claimant’s mental or physical condition and how much it impairs them, not their ability to work; while Income Support is a benefit for Islanders that provides financial support towards the cost of living for people trying to find work, those who have a good reason why they can’t get a job or those on low paid jobs.

Claimants who get assessed as having their faculties impaired up to a level of 30% have always been expected to have a job or look for work if they want to get Income Support, just like everyone else, but those above that threshold have not been expected to find a job.

In a change that takes effect from Monday, the estimated 100 claimants whose impairment is assessed as between 30% and 35% will also have to get a job or prove they are trying to find one – and the department is aiming to increase that threshold to 50% by the end of 2016, which will affect around 350 people.

Social Security Minister Susie Pinel said: “We are committed to doing everything we can to help people achieve financial independence through work.

“We have always provided specialised support to help people who receive LTIA find suitable employment, but those who also claim Income Support have not always taken up this offer of help.

“From now on, we will expect a greater number of these people to engage with our services, and this will be backed up with financial sanctions for those who don’t take reasonable steps to look for work. 

“Unemployment should not be a lifestyle choice and the new rules are backed up by the support that is on offer to get other Income Support claimants into work.”