Changes to the work capability assessment which aim to improve the way it assesses the effect of cancer treatment are being introduced today, meaning many people will no longer be forced to work or look for work while dealing with the effects of the disease.
As a result of the Department for Work and Pensions changes, people who are awaiting, receiving, or recovering from any form of chemotherapy or radiotherapy for cancer will be placed in the support group for Employment and Support Allowance where they will receive support while unable to work.
The changes are likely to clarify for employers what roles they can expect their staff dealing with cancer to fulfil.
The requirements for those suffering from cancer to fulfil work-related activity as part of their entitlement to ESA has been highly controversial, although the government dismissed these changes as a policy u-turn.
Employment Minister Mark Hoban said: "We strongly support the principle of the work capability assessment and are committed to continuously improving the assessment process to ensure it is as fair and as accurate as possible.
"As part of the programme of continuous improvement of the WCA, today we are also making a number of amendments to the assessment and to the description of certain activities and descriptors.
"These changes do not represent changes in policy. Rather they are intended to clarify areas which are open to misunderstanding. They will make the process easier to understand for claimants and assessors."
The changes introduced today, which seek to improve the way the government assesses cancer patients, follow extensive work with Professor Harrington, Macmillan Cancer Support, and the Royal College of Radiologists.
