A FORMER borough councillor has blasted the Jobcentre for telling disabled people they must seek work or risk having their benefit slashed.

Mike English, whose wife Eileen is disabled, found out about the directive in a letter sent to him by the Jobcentre Plus office in Belfast.

It said: 'From April 12, your partner will be asked to come to a compulsory work-focused interview with a personal adviser.

'The aim is to encourage your partner to consider working part-time or full-time or, if they already have a job, increase the number of hours.

'If you live a Jobcentre Plus area and have been claiming one of the following benefits - Jobseeker's Allowance, Income Support, Incapacity Benefit or Severe Disablement Allowance - for at least 26 weeks your partner will have to attend the interview unless there are special circumstances.'

Mr English, of Hillside Drive, Ellesmere Port, said: 'Eileen has said she would work if she could.

'This makes me angry, not just for her but for every disabled person in the town who will have received one of these letters.

'I understand there are people who abuse the system, but the majority of disabled people don't. They are worried sick about this.'

A spokeswoman for the Department for Work and Pensions said: 'We don't intend to cause distress to customers - this is an initial letter informing people they will be contacted in the future with an interview time. At that point they can report their circumstances if the interview is not suitable for them.

'We have written to everyone as we cannot pre-judge their circumstances at this point.'