Incapacity Benefit, / Unum Provident UK / UK Gubment Part 2

On July 2nd 2004 Wales’ then First Minister, Rhodri Morgan AM, and the then UK Minister of State in the Department of Works and Pensions, Malcolm Wicks MP, helped applaud the opening of the UnumProvident Centre for Psychosocial and Disability Research £1.6million centre at Cardiff University , based in the School of Psychology and sponsored by income protection provider and insurer UnumProvident UK.

Mr Morgan said it was appropriate that the Centre would be based in "an absolutely top-notch psychology school."

Mr Wicks told the launch (before no doubt a hearty lunch) : "It brings together a rigorous approach to research and evidence in a leading academic school in Europe - a refreshing linkage between classical medical studies, medical sciences and wider health-related research, and a partnership between industry and the University.

"The centre will be the first in the UK to develop specific lines of research into the psychosocial factors related to disability, vocational rehabilitation, and the ill-health behaviours which impact on work and employment."

The launch focused the concerns about the sharp rise in the number of people with mental health problems and unexplained health complaints leading to a serious problem of incapacity for work in the UK … and attendant costs to the taxpayer in Incapacity Benefits.

On any working day in the UK, 6 million people report absence from work due to sickness. Whilst unemployment has fallen and the demand for employees has risen, the number of people claiming incapacity benefit remains stubbornly high and rising whilst the age of claimants drops.

Dr Peter Dewis, Customer Care Director at UnumProvident, said: "The Centre’s research will lead to a better understanding of what makes people incapacitated and how to prevent and better support disabling incapacity to help people return to work after illness. This will bring benefits to employers, insurers and to society as a whole; but more importantly, it will benefit the individual who is healthier and happier when actively involved in work."

Dr Dewis added: "It is a modern-day paradox that in spite of an accelerating rate of medical innovation and discovery, more and more people of working age are being certified as incapable of work, often with complaints which cannot be understood in the same way as more identifiable diseases. The new Centre will be looking at the doctor/patient relationship and how this affects an individual’s reaction to their illness. Studies to be conducted at the Centre in Cardiff will focus on why people respond differently to the same illness, rendering some unable to work while others continue."

The new Centre is the first in the UK to develop specific lines of research into psychosocial factors related to disability, vocational rehabilitation and the determinants of ill-health impacting upon work capacity.

Professor Peter Halligan from the School of Psychology at Cardiff University, the brains behind the partnership with UnumProvident UK, said very prophetically : "Within the next five years, the work will hopefully facilitate a significant re-orientation in current medical practise in the UK, whereby ‘enablement’ rather than disability will be the positive focus and goal for those involved in managing disability and those affected by unexplained symptoms."

Professor Mansel Aylward CB, recently appointed Chair in Psychosocial and Disability Research at Cardiff, will head the Centre when he takes up the position as the Centre’s Director later in the year.

Professor Aylward pointed out: "The Government believes that everyone who can work should be given the opportunity to do so. The overwhelming majority of people newly claiming incapacity benefits expect to get back to work: in reality less than a quarter will be back at work after 12 months on benefit. The nature of the health conditions affecting these people are very largely "common health problems." Given the right level of support and intervention the majority of these health conditions are manageable and should not preclude a return to work."

Most of this is taken from the University Press release and probably was missed by the busy Press in those long hot summer months.

Of course.. few of those who may have read of this less than academic bombshell would have been aware of the significance for Incapacity Claimants … or of the role and objectives of Unum Provident UK, subsidiary of Chatanooga , Tennessee based US insurer Unum Provident, the leading provider of group insurance schemes for incapacity to US industry and commerce … with an interesting record in claims payments, multiple million dollar fines from State insurance overseers and a current SEC insider share dealing enquiry.

"Within the next five years, the work will hopefully facilitate a significant re-orientation in current medical practise in the UK, whereby ‘enablement’ rather than disability will be the positive focus and goal for those involved in managing disability and those affected by unexplained symptoms."

Remember those words from Professor Hennigan well. … it would of course be unwise, imprudent even, to say that an insurer with US$20Bn annual Gross income was making a small down payment on academic research that may help in reducing claims on their policies and to help the Government also with the same goals.

Professor Hennigan is a rare academic … one who can forecast five years hence the results of his academic efforts.

Professor Mansel Aylward CB Director of the Unum Provident Centre for Psychosocial and Disability Research in the School of Psychology, Cardiff University, is also a rare academic. On the 9th September 2005 the Centre was proud to announce their Director had been appointed to the new Honours committees. He will serve on the health committee for a three-year term. In addition to his University role, Professor Aylward is Chair of the Wales Centre for Health. The Honours committees advise the Cabinet Secretary on candidates for the Prime Minister’s list of recommendations to the Queen…. The sort of guy who can forecast which worthy medical researchers might … say within the next 5 years, receive the grace and favours of HMQ…. Especially if they help lop a few Billions off the IB bill.

Interested to know more about Unem Provident UK ? Go to their website here