New data from the Department for Work and Pensions reveals that nearly a third of all Universal Credit claimants, equating to over two million people, are deemed unfit for work due to medical reasons.
While new LCW claimants do not receive extra money with their Universal Credit, those recognised before April 2017 could be eligible for an additional £156 each month, reports BirminghamLive. A staggering 267,000 people on Universal Credit are awaiting the results of their work capacity assessments, despite having "acceptable medical evidence of a restricted ability to work."
Genitourinary issues were identified in 178,900 instances, eye conditions in 136,000, and skin diseases in another 87,900. Hearing problems featured in 87,700 claims, and a further 142,900 assessments included other unspecified symptoms and clinical findings. "The composition of the UC health caseload has changed over time as people migrated from ESA to UC, and due to the suspension of face-to-face assessments in March 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic which adversely impacted DWP's ability to complete assessments and for claimants to provide medical evidence."