Colin Cottell has contacted us to say -

'I am writing a piece for the Jobs & Money section of the Guardian, which appears on Saturdays.

In this case, the subject is incapacity benefits, and a possible crackdown, tightening up, whatever term you want to use, as intimated by Tony Blair in his recent "languishing on benefits" speech. The article is looking at the potential benefits, and dangers of such an approach in terms of the career/job prospects of those receiving IB.

I would be interested in speaking to one, or possibly two advisers, who have direct day to day contact day with people on incapacity benefits.

How would such an approach affect the health and job/career prospects of your clients? Would it 'incentivise' them, or would it backfire horribly? What approach would you favour to getting more people on incapacity benefits into work?

If you can help with this request, or know of anyone else who might, I would be grateful if you could contact me asap, by email (ColinMCottell@aol.com) in the first instance. Please provide your contact details, and I will call you back.

Best regards,

Colin Cottell'

shaun

i could invite him to see the view from saltley. we can't see the future 'wonder of the world', Selfridges building in the Bullring from here, ( don't laugh, didn't you read a ROAD just won a 'Tony'award?, plus Birminham's very sensitive about it's image, _and_ the council is extremely proud of it's big blue Dalek). there are still some gas-works left standing, maybe we could get a heritage preservation order... oh right...the last miner's strike hasn't been rehabbed yet... however, i could very likely say something really stupid, and i'm certain there are plenty of views 'all over this la-and.'



i've an idea that several views would be better than one, and maybe even some collective views would be even more fruitful.

as some of us have remarked , there are several 'news management' issues to be ironed out, and i trust that 'rightsnet' since the approach was made to you, could iron those out?

i suspect there are a lot of guardian reading 'stake-holders' here wondering how to stop themselves from foaming at the mouth' - i know i am.

jj

p.s. so can you tell us how serious a 'story' they'd like, and in how much time, for practical discussion purposes, and maybe rightsnet posters could sort something out response-wise?

(don't mind me - i tried searching the national statistics website for sickness statistics earlier, and the search engine gives you 'story' hits - it takes a lot of perseverance. i'm getting a few rehab ideas about government websites already!)

Colin - you may like to look at a research paper on the incapacity benefit system just published by the Social Enterprise Partnership. It is in pdf on http://www.sepgb.co.uk/ Alternatively if you ring them on 020 7583 9444 they will post you a copy.

The paper identifies the fearsome disincentives to work that benefit rules and systems present to the claimant and makes recommendations for change. It is titled 'Addressing disincentives to work associated with the welfare benefits system in the UK and abroad'.

Judy Scott