Get our money-saving tips and top offers direct to your inbox with the Mirror Money newsletter Sign up Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Invalid Email

Brits claiming Employment and Support Allowance will face even more hurdles to show they cannot work under Tory plans.

Work and Pensions secretary Iain Duncan Smith is putting pressure on GPs to give claimants “fit notes” rather than assuming they are too ill to work.

(Image: Mirrorpix)

According to IDS, the “fundamental flaw” of ESA is the way it divides claimants into those who are fit for all work and those who can't do anything at all.

He said: “Things are rarely that simplistic. Someone may be able to do some work for some hours, days or weeks, but not what they were doing previously.”

The Government also wants to get 1million disabled people into work. You can read more about the plans here.

Disabled workers

What this means for ESA claimants

(Image: PA)

At the moment, ESA splits claimants into two groups - the support group and the work-related activity group. This includes people who may be sick now but could go back to work later.

IDS is talking about moving more of these people back into work.

In fact, his message is not too different from that of the previous Coalition Government. And ESA is more flexible than he suggests.

What HAS changed, though, is the Government is slashing the ESA payment from April 2017.

From then on, those placed in the work-related activity group will get the same rate as those claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance. That basically means a £30-a-week cut in ESA.

(Image: PA)

Meanwhile, the Government is pressurising GPs in England and Wales to recommend people for the ‘Fit for Work’ scheme.

After four weeks off sick, your GP should put you in touch with a health professional. Together you’ll draw up a plan to go back to work. In Scotland, there’s a similar scheme.

According to IDS, GPs should not be asking “How sick are you?" but “What help can we give you now that will help and keep you close to your job?”

The winners and losers

(Image: Daily Post)

If you’re sick or disabled, and you would like to go back to work, this could be a good opportunity. The Government’s also putting pressure on companies to offer more support to employees.

But if you have a complex sickness or disability, it may be more difficult. Disability and mental health campaigners have previously slammed the Work Capability Assessment for finding seriously ill Brits healthy enough to go back to work.

The problem boils down to the fact it’s quite hard to tell how sick someone is, especially if their condition changes or is not immediately obvious, such as with some mental health patients.

The Royal College of GPs has already questioned the fact Fit for Work will mostly be done over the telephone.

Mark Atkinson, chief executive at disability charity Scope, said the Work Capability Assessment should be the start of a process helping disabled people back into work.

But he added: “Right now, this support is just not effective enough.”