§ Mr. FieldTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will estimate the number of people who have ceased to receive incapacity benefit or severe disablement allowance and who are drawing the disability working allowance who will gain a two year cover to return to benefit should they be forced to give up their job because of ill health. [58302]
§ Mr. TimmsEveryone who moves on to Disability Working Allowance from Incapacity Benefit or Severe Disablement Allowance can take advantage of the two-year linking rule which allows them to return to their former benefit, should they be forced to give up work because of ill health.
At April 1998, the latest date for which figures are available, there were 1,261 people who qualified for Disability Working Allowance via receipt of Severe Disablement Allowance, and 2,383 people who qualified via receipt of Incapacity Benefit.