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Written question asked by Jo Platt (Labour) on Thursday, 6 March 2025, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 10 March 2025. It was answered by Stephen Timms (Labour) on Monday, 17 March 2025 on behalf of the Department for Work and Pensions.

Employment: Long Covid and ME/CFS

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 17 February 2025 to Question 30791 on Employment: Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Long Covid, whether the proposed reforms will (a) ensure appropriate assessment of the work capability of individuals with fluctuating conditions and (b) provide adequate support for people with ME who are unable to work due to their illness.

Answer

The Government believes there is a strong case to change the system of health and disability benefits across Great Britain so that it better enables people to enter and remain in work and to respond to the complex and fluctuating nature of the health conditions many people live with today. The system must also work to support disabled people and those with health to live independently.

We are therefore working to develop proposals for health and disability reform and will set them out in a Green Paper ahead of the Spring Statement. This will launch a consultation on the proposals, with a conclusion to be set out in a white paper later this year.

This Government is committed to putting the views and voices of disabled people at the heart of all that we do, so we will consult on these proposals, where appropriate, with disabled people and representative organisations.

Ahead of the formal consultation for the Green Paper, we have already started to explore ways of engaging with disabled people and their representatives, including through stakeholder roundtables and public visits. We look forward to progressing these initiatives over the coming months.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
36122
Session
2024-26
Related items
Employment: Long Covid and ME/CFS
Monday, 17 February 2025
Written questions
House of Commons
Subjects
ME/CFS Employment Long covid
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk