Changes in the profile of men claiming Incapacity Benefit a case study

Incapacity claimants are the largest group of non-employed working age benefit claimants in the UK. This paper looks at the changing profile of men on incapacity benefits in one town -Barrow in Furness -where the claimant rate is especially high. It draws on survey evidence for 1999 and 2007 and finds that although the overall numbers have declined only modestly, the characteristics of the stock have altered radically. The proportion with no formal qualification has increased, and far fewer express an interest in returning to work. The findings are consistent with the view that as redundancies from older industries recede into the past, a new group of less healthy, less skilled and less motivated men is becoming marginalized. The paper argues that the processes at work in Barrow are likely to be replicated elsewhere and that the obstacles to returning claimants to work have increased.