22 December 2021
Today, the Minister for Social Security has published a review of Jersey's incapacity benefit system.
The review recommends changes to the Island's benefits that support people who experience illness or disabilities during their working life and is accompanied by a technical report based on work that was carried out over the last 18 months.
The review sets out a range of options which are designed to improve the way that benefits support working people in Jersey.
They include:
- Change Jersey's Short-Term Incapacity Allowance to allow the option of a partial return to work during STIA
- Redesign Long-Term Incapacity Allowance to use a modern assessment system that reflects current understandings of the effects of health conditions on daily life
- Explore ways to offer new targeted support to help workers manage the effect of health conditions.
- Investigate how government can help employers support employees with a health condition to remain in or return to work.
- Minister for Social Security, Deputy Judy Martin, said: "I'm pleased to publish this review which will give the next minister the opportunity to consider a range of options early on in their term."
Minister for Social Security, Deputy Judy Martin, said: "I'm pleased to publish this review which will give the next minister the opportunity to consider a range of options early on in their term."
"We need to make improvements to our incapacity benefits if we are going to continue to support working people in a changing world and we need to provide better support to help people manage the effects of illness or disabilities alongside employment. The impact is not just financial but can lead to people's health worsening if they remain out of the workforce.
"We will be doing everything we can to help Islanders manage the effects of illness and disabilities, and to support our employers and healthcare system in responding to these changes."
The full report can be found here.
The expert report can also be found
here.
gov.je