Barely a month after announcing the most severe crackdown on benefits in a decade, with threats to change cash support for disabled people into a voucher system and make it harder for people with mental illnesses to claim, it looks like the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) plan for sweeping reforms might be dead in the water.
With yesterday's surprise announcement of a general election on July 4, the DWP's plans to get some of the almost three million people who are long-term sick or disabled into work have been kicked into the long grass, as impartial civil servants are barred from carrying out contentious work during an election period.
This will delay any work on the 'Modernising support for independent living' Green Paper pending the outcome of the general election.
According to the campaigners Benefits and Work, "if Labour win then that’s probably the last we will hear of the Green Paper". READ MORE: DWP boss admits more carers will be chased for overpayments with 67,000 in debt But, they said: "If the Conservatives win a working majority, then it’s likely that the Green Paper will be followed by a White Paper which will set out which of the proposals the government plans to take forward.
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