Fibromyalgia and Me

Listening to “You and Yours’” Radio 4’s consumer affairs programme, on the way into work today I was following the debate on the proposed government changes to the benefits system. The government plans to shake up the benefits system by encouraging some of the long term unemployed to do voluntary work in return for receiving state benefits. Also included in the Government green paper are plans to scrap invalidity benefit and replace it with an enhanced benefit with stricter medical criteria administered by someone other than the individuals GP (Invalidity nurse practitioner?). Those not qualifying for the new benefit will be moved to a new employment support allowance scheme by 2013 which it is hoped by ministers will be regarded as a temporary benefit by all but the most disabled.