October 2013

Peter Lilley, security secretary in John Major’s government and one of the architects of the Work Capability Assessment, says he has “no regrets” and denies insurance industry influence.

What: In a brief interview at the Conservative party conference, Peter Lilley, who was social security secretary in John Major’s government from 1992 to 1997, says he has “no objection in principle” to the work capability assessment, despite almost universal acceptance that it has caused significant harm to thousands of disabled people. He also denies that parts of the insurance industry have spent two decades lobbying the government to ensure that eligibility for out-of-work disability benefits would be tightened.

Why significant: Lilley, who was one of the main architects of the WCA, expresses no regrets about the WCA.