Therapeutic Earnings Limit to Increase

On the last page of the White Paper A New Contract for Welfare ‐ Support for the Disabled, the Rt Hon Alistair Darling MP, Secretary of State for Social Security, states: ‘We are increasing the therapeutic earnings limit in Incapacity Benefit to ensure that people with a long‐term illness or disability who undertake therapeutic work can benefit from higher wage rates.’The week before the paper was published, a letter requesting exactly this change was sent to Alistair Darling signed by service user groups and representatives of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, Mind, the National Schizophrenia Fellowship, the Manic Depression Fellowship, ITON Ireland, the Richmond Fellowship, Birmingham and City Universities, the Centre for Mental Health Services Development at King's College, London, Professor Geoff Shepherd, Jack Ashley, Elizabeth Bray and me.Who says no‐one ever listens!