Obese on benefits who refuse to diet will NOT have cash cut, say Tories as they U-turn on party manifesto

Controversial Tory plans to penalise overweight profit claimants who refuse to go on a weight loss plan have been ditched, Downing Road mentioned final evening.

David Cameron mentioned earlier than final yr's common election that it was unfair to count on taxpayers to fund the life of overweight claimants who 'refuse to just accept help that might assist them get again to a lifetime of work'.

Plans for a system of profit sanctions for obese refuseniks appeared within the Tory manifesto, alongside a scheme to dock advantages for alcoholics and drug addicts who refused assist.

However Theresa Could yesterday deserted Mr Cameron's initiative. Her spokesman mentioned: 'Withdrawing advantages from overweight individuals just isn't into account.'

Tory plans to penalise overweight profit claimants who refuse to go on a weight loss plan have been ditched

The transfer got here as an official report really useful that JobCentre employees are given the ability to order overweight profit claimants to see a health care provider about their weight. 

College of Cambridge professor Dame Carol Black was requested by Mr Cameron to hold out the research on the impression of weight problems and drug and alcohol habit on employment final yr.

Her report warned that official figures suggesting simply 1,600 persons are signed off work due to weight problems 'appear very low'.

The research discovered that greater than 800,000 individuals on employment and help allowance (ESA) 'have situations that will come up because of weight problems' – equal to at least one third of the overall variety of individuals on the illness profit.

But it surely mentioned there was not sufficient proof for a causal hyperlink between weight problems and a life on advantages.

Nearly one in 4 working-age adults are overweight, with 68 per cent of them in work – not many fewer than the 70 per cent of those that weight is decrease.

Nevertheless, the employment hole will increase to 10 share factors for the severely overweight.

Dame Carol mentioned extra work was wanted to ascertain how many individuals weren't working on account of their weight.

A brand new research cited proof urged Britain is the tubbiest nation in Europe 

The report mentioned: 'Weight problems could be very prone to contribute to worklessness for some individuals not directly, by way of different situations related to it.'

She known as for JobCentre employees to be given the ability to order overweight claimants to see a health care provider about their weight. However, with ministers ruling out profit sanctions for individuals who refuse, it's unclear how the system could possibly be made to work.

Dame Carol additionally mentioned it needs to be a 'requirement' for claimants with drug and alcohol issues to see a GP about 'the impression of their well being situation on their capability to work'.

The research mentioned 86,700 ESA claimants record alcohol or drug dependency as their 'major disabling situation'.

However No 10 mentioned there was a 'consensus' that the specter of profit sanctions may lead to individuals making an attempt to cover their addictions.

A spokesman added: 'We're very clear that we wish to help those that are affected by long-term however treatable situations again into work and we are going to take a look at how finest we will obtain that. Dame Carol's assessment will type a part of that course of.'

The brand new research cited proof suggesting Britain is the fattest nation in Europe, and warned that the severely obese had been prone to face discrimination within the office. A survey of 1,000 employers discovered that 45 per cent had been much less doubtless to present a job to an overweight candidate.

The report additionally mentioned employers and the Authorities ought to do extra to encourage overweight individuals to shed weight, including: 'We consider there's a long-term danger that weight problems turns into an ill-defined however extensively accepted purpose for absence from work or receipt of advantages, relatively like 'again ache' these days.'

 

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