Sick unemployed

Press, 9 August 1985, Page 16

Sick unemployed

Si r —people on the sickness benefit can only be registered as unemployed through the specia duties section of the Employment

Service. Although this section has very dedicated staff, they appear overworked and unable to help the many people with physical and mental problems. Consequently, people coming to special duties either get interviewed and filed or told to go on the unemployment benefit. The Employment Service appears to disadvantaged people on the sickness benefit 1, By providing only minimal access to effective job search; 2, By preventing people from attending Labour Depart-ment-funded polytechnic courses (the allowances provided mean financial hardship); 3, By perpetuating a system which provides major assistance for accident-related health problems and minimal assistance for those with other health problems. Many people on the sickness benefit are willing and earnestly desire to work, but they require skilled assistance and access to training and employed services. — Yours, etc, TRICIA RISSMAN. July 18, 1985.

[The District Superintendent of the Department of Labour, Mr W. T. Holland, replies: “For a person to be enrolled as an unemployed job seeker they must be a, not in employment; b, available for and willing to accept full-time work; c, capable of performing the work sought. A person on a sickness benefit cannot enrol as an unemployed job seeker, as, being on a sickness benefit, they must therefore be unfit to perform work because of their sickness. Before such a person can be referred or considered for vacancies by the Employment and Vocational Guidance Service they must be cleared by their doctor as being fit for work. Once cleared, they can then be offered work, training or other vocational counselling assistance. The assumptions made by the correspondent are incorrect.”]