'Even I would qualify as disabled,' Baroness Casey says as she calls for tough questions on welfare
Government troubleshooter Baroness Casey has insisted 'even' she would qualify for disability benefits under DWP criteria, as she called for 'difficult questions' to be asked about welfare reform.
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Casey, who is currently leading a high-profile review of social care, launched a public consultation on the issue on Wednesday.
As part of the 'Big Conversation on Care' launch, Casey told a broadcaster: “Essentially, if you look at the figures, something like 16.8 million people answered questions that took you to a point that they would be classified by the Department for Work and Pensions as disabled, and I don’t buy it”.
She added: “I would qualify, and I’m sitting here right now. I’m not disabled, but I could qualify if I answered those questions based on my medical records, it’s simple as.”
Referencing a need for the state to rewire who receives support, both for disabled people and for those in need of social care.
“We’ve just got to get ourselves a little bit more straight on the fact there are some people out there that are struggling beyond belief to try and help themselves or get help for their families with very significant disabilities, and the help they’re getting is not enough,” she said.
“At the same time … I’m asking the country to just take a breath for a minute and think: ‘who should we be looking after, and how’ is the most important, I think, question facing the British welfare state in the 21st century.”
The DWP told the Telegraph: “The 16.8 million figure refers to self-reported disability under the Equality Act 2010. This is a self-reported question in a voluntary survey. It is not the same as the definition applied to eligibility for DWP disability benefits.”