HC Deb 17 December 1997 vol 303 cc239-40W
Mr. Cotter

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what plans she has to improve incentives to work for disabled people. [21005]

Mr. Denham

The Government believe that work is the best form of welfare for people of working age, and are committed to improving opportunities and incentives for disabled people who want to work. Under our New Deal for people with a disability or long-term illness, up to £195 million, set aside from the Windfall Tax, will be used to finance a range of options aimed at helping participants, in the most effective way possible, to move into or stay in work. One key element of the New Deal will involve funding a number of innovative schemes to test ways of helping people who want to work, and the bidding process for this part of the programme was launched on 9 December. In parallel with these initiatives we are also considering what changes might be made to the benefit system to improve incentives and reduce disincentives to work.