16 April 2015

Changes to incapacity benefits described “as the biggest single social policy failure of the last 15 years”.

What: The National Institute of Economic and Social Research publishes blog by Jonathan Portes showing that changes to incapacity benefits, which were supposed to reduce spending by £3.5 billion, have in fact proved “costly and painful for claimants and taxpayers alike” – making them the “the biggest single social policy failure of the last 15 years”.

Why significant: Shows that changes to incapacity benefits have failed to reduce costs