§ Mr. LuffTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what steps he will take to ensure that those claimants for the new incapacity benefit who suffer from diseases with cyclical patterns such as ME are not disadvantaged by the objective medical test for the benefit.
§ Mr. ScottClaimants with such conditions will not be disadvantaged. Doctors from the Benefits Agency medical services, who will apply the new more objective medical test, will be required to consider the effect of conditions on ability to work over a period of time not merely at the point when they conduct the medical examination or when the claimant completes the questionnaire.