Social Security

When I became a councillor in Berkshire in 1993, I was concerned about the huge number of people—lone parents with children and others—who were on incapacity benefit in my constituency. Doctors were putting such people on incapacity benefit because the benefits system was so low. The hon. Gentleman's Government tripled the number of people on incapacity benefits between 1979 and 1997—an appalling target was hit.