Iain Duncan Smith, the UK’s Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, has provoked anger among the disabled community after calling people without a disability “normal”.
Vicky McDermott: “This implies that people with a disability are not normal”
Attempting to defend the UK Government’s record in getting disabled people into work, Duncan Smith said in the House of Commons: “I think the figure is now over 220,000, which I believe is the highest figure since records began, in proportionate terms, but the most important point is that we are looking to get that up to the level of normal, non-disabled people who are back in work.”
Vicky McDermott, chief executive of the charity Papworth Trust, which offers care and support to disabled people, and helps them find jobs has condemned Duncan Smith’s remarks.
She said her charity was “shocked” to hear that Duncan Smith “would describe non-disabled people as ‘normal’”. She added: “This implies that people with a disability are not normal. I can assure Mr Duncan Smith that nothing could be further from the truth.”
Only last week Duncan Smith was forced by the Information Commissioner into revealing that 2,380 people had died within six weeks of being declared fit for work between 2011 and 2014.
Nearly all the deaths were of people on Employment and Support Allowance, which Duncan Smith claims is meant to be a ‘short-term’ benefit.
Duncan Smith’s comments come at a sensitive time, when he is preparing to announce a radical overhaul of sickness benefits.
The government hopes that the initiative will force up to a million more disabled people into work.
Published: 9 September 2015
