Oral question asked in the House of Commons, by James Clappison (Conservative). It was answered on Monday, 1 February 2010 on behalf of the Department for Work and Pensions.

Incapacity Benefit

Question: Is it not likely that those who have been on employment and support allowance for many years and are looking to move into work, such as those with mental health problems, will need a great deal of individual help and support to get back into work? That is precisely what we propose, with specialist support in our work programme. Will the Minister answer the question that my hon. Friend the Member for Forest of Dean (Mr. Harper) posed a moment ago? How many of those who have been reclassified from the ESA to jobseeker's allowance have actually found a job? May we have the figure, please?

Answer: The ESA has been in operation for only one year. I am sure the hon. Gentleman will welcome our employment strategy for mental health people. We have set out in that policy when people will be able to get, for example, better access to work, which the review suggested and we accepted. We have specialist staff in our jobcentres and we expect to see people with mental health conditions, which could mean a range of conditions. We have developed specialist help. The access to work scheme is helping people—£15 million was spent when the Opposition were in government, but that has risen to £137 million. We have done that in partnership with Mind, which has welcomed the arrangements, and a range of disability organisations in that sector has helped us. We have seen jobs for disabled people increase by 10 per cent. since this Government have been in office.

Secondary information