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Written question asked by Lord Harper (Conservative) on Friday, 5 February 2010, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 10 February 2010. It was answered by Jonathan Shaw (Labour) on Tuesday, 2 March 2010 on behalf of the Department for Work and Pensions.

Social Security Benefits: Obesity

Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate she has made of the number of claimants of (a) employment and support allowance, (b) incapacity benefit and (c) severe disablement allowance who have a primary diagnosis of obesity which limits their ability to work in the latest period for which figures are available.
Answer

[holding answer 10 February 2010]: To qualify for incapacity benefit/severe disablement allowance, claimants have to undertake a medical assessment of incapacity for work called the personal capability assessment. Therefore, the medical condition recorded on the claim form does not in itself confer entitlement to benefit. This means that the decision for a customer who has claimed incapacity benefit/severe disablement allowance because of obesity would be based on their ability to carry out a range of activities in the personal capability assessment. Causes of incapacity are based on the International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision, published by the World Health Organisation.Employment and support allowance was introduced from October 2008 for new customers only. It replaced incapacity benefit and income support paid on the grounds of incapacity or disability. Data by medical conditions are not yet available for employment and support allowance.The available information is provided in the table.

Number of claimants of incapacity benefit/severe disablement allowance with obesity as the main disabling condition Great Britain and abroad as at May 2009
Number
Incapacity benefit/severe disablement allowance 2,040
Incapacity benefit 1,940
Severe disablement allowance 90
Note:
Figures are rounded to the nearest 10.
Source:
Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study 100 per cent data.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
506 c1042W; 316778
Session
2009-10
Related items
Written Questions: Government Responses
Tuesday, 30 March 2010
Written questions
House of Commons
Subjects
Obesity Social security benefits
Contains statistics
Yes
Link
View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk