Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of why the cost of incapacity-related benefit claims in the UK is rising faster than in other comparable countries.

The Department keeps abreast of the findings of research and analysis that covers different countries, for example that produced by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. However, as a result of the time it takes to obtain and process data from different countries, the most recent trends will not necessarily be reflected in these sources. Once the latest data is available this will feed into policy development as appropriate.