Spin doctors blamed for dodgy claims over benefit scheme

Aug 10 2008 by Michael Kelly, Sunday Sun

GOVERNMENT spin doctors have been accused of making misleading claims over a multi- million pound scheme to get long-term sick and disabled people off benefits.

The controversy surrounds a statement issued to promote a visit by Secretary of State for Work and Pensions James Purnell to the North East in June.

Mr Purnell, who has been tipped as a future Prime Minister, is under pressure to cut the £13bn bill for sickness benefits.

The minister claimed he was “impressed” by the Pathways to Work Programme, in South Shields, South Tyneside, despite just one in 17 taking up the offer in three years.

A Press release issued by his department boasted: “A South Tyneside employment programme has been hailed a success after helping more than 3800 long-term sick and disabled people into jobs.”

The figure would be impressive had it been for the borough of South Tyneside alone, as the statement implied.

However, an investigation by the Sunday Sun has revealed . . .

V The 3800 people were from the whole of the region from the Tyne to the Tees, and not just South Tyneside.

V It has taken three years to hit the figure with the scheme costing £3m a year to run.

V Jobcentre managers have no idea how many of the 3800 people are still in work and how many have gone back on benefits.

Visiting the Flagg Court Primary Care Centre in June, Mr Purnell said: “I am impressed by the success of the Pathways programme.

“It proves that with the right support we can make a difference even with long-term benefit claimants, which is a group of people usually considered harder to help.”

The Sunday Sun made an application under the Freedom of Information Act to ask how many of the 3800 people were still in work.

A Department of Work and Pensions spokesman said: “I am unable to tell you how many people are still in work because there is no requirement for Jobcentre Plus to collect this information.”

The department also confirmed “South Tyneside” included: South Tyneside, Sunderland, Chester- le-Street, Durham, Easington, Sedgefield, Derwentside, Teesdale and Wear Valley. Together, the areas have a population of nearly one million, as compared with South Tyneside’s population of around 150,000.

Nearly 66,000 people in the region claim invalidity or disability benefit. Based on the figure of 3800 people given by the Government, it means just one in 17 of those claiming sickness benefits have found jobs through the scheme in the last three years.

Mark Wallace, Campaign Director of the TaxPayers’ Alliance, said: “Spin like this reveals that they are more interested in grabbing headlines in the short term than solving the problem in the long term . . . even at a cost of millions.

“This is a huge amount of money to spend for a very small improvement. It’s shocking that the Department of Work and Pensions doesn’t even bother to check whether these people remain in work.”

A spokesman for the department said: “There has been no attempt to mislead the public. The Press release is accurate because the scheme is based in South Tyneside.

“It does not suggest that all 3800 people have been found jobs in South Tyneside, just that the project is based there.

“Some customers are not expected to participate in Pathways because of their personal circumstances.

“For example, some people claiming Incapacity Benefits are very poorly or severely disabled, including people who are terminally ill, and they cannot work and would not be expected to work.”