Incapacity Benefit (IB) is a contributory benefit which provides an income for people who are unable to work because of illness or disability, and have paid a specified amount of National Insurance contributions.
These sections make a number of changes to the IB legislation. They:
	amend the National Insurance contribution conditions for new claims;
	allow income from occupational and personal pensions to be taken into account when assessing what amount of IB people receive;
	extend entitlement to IB to long-term incapacitated people who claim while aged 16-19 (or, in prescribed cases, before age 25) and who would currently receive Severe Disablement Allowance.
They also:
	abolish Severe Disablement Allowance for new claimants (section 85 provides powers to protect the benefit for existing recipients.)
The Government’s proposals were published in the consultation document A New Contract for Welfare: SUPPORT FOR DISABLED PEOPLE (Cm 4103) in October 1998.
Commentary Commentary Schedule 8: Part II – Incapacity Sections 62-65: Incapacity Benefits