| What
is happening at the moment?
The
government is moving claimants of Incapacity Benefit onto
a new version of these benefits called Employment and Support
Allowance.
Employment
and Support Allowance is for people who are unable to look
for work or work due to a disability or health problem. To
get this benefit you will have to fill out a medical questionnaire
(form ESA50) and have to have a medical assessment called
the Work Capability Assessment. You may need some advice and
assistance when filling out the medical questionnaire. Please
refer to the ‘Opening Hours’ button on the left
of our homepage to find ways of getting advice.
If
you are assessed as unable to work or look for work you will
be placed into one of two groups – the Work Related
Activity Group or the Support Group. Please look at the link
below for more details about these groups.
If
you are assessed as fit for work and you do not agree with
this you will have the opportunity to appeal or challenge
this decision and you should still receive payment of your
benefit whilst you are appealing. You may need advice again
at this point to help you prepare for your appeal. As above
please refer to the ‘Opening Hours’ button on
the left of our homepage to find ways of getting advice.
If
you agree with the decision you will be placed onto the Jobseeker’s
Allowance benefit if you are eligible for this benefit. Eligibility
for Jobseekers Allowance is based on a number of factors including
income, savings and partner’s hours of work.
The
new system will look like this:
Able
to work and look for work – Jobseeker’s Allowance
Able
to complete training with a view to returning to work in the
future - Employment and Support Allowance Work Related Activity
Component
Unable
to work or complete training with a view to working in the
future– Employment and Support Allowance Support Group
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What
happens next?
You
should receive a letter from the Jobcentre telling you about
these changes and a phone call also explaining this.
We
have been told that the Jobcentres in Leeds have started making
these calls but it will take some time for them to get through
all of the Incapacity Benefit claimants.
After
your phone call you will be sent the medical questionnaire
(form ESA 50) and when this is completed you will be asked
to attend a medical assessment (Work Capability Assessment).
What’s
the most important thing to remember?
Don’t
panic – you’re not going to find that your benefits
have stopped overnight without any warning.
Don’t
ignore any letters you get about your benefits. It is important
that you complete the medical questionnaire and return it
by the deadline and that you attend your medical assessment
as your benefits may stop if you do not do this.
Get
advice – you may need some help with this process, particularly
with the medical questionnaires and appeal.
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The
government have said that they expect 70% of ESA claimants
will lose some
benefit; is this true?
The
statistics released by the government recently come from a
trial project they ran to see what would happen when they
transferred claimants of Incapacity Benefit onto Employment
and Support Allowance.
At
this trial a third of people were moved off Incapacity Benefit
and onto Jobseekers Allowance.
We
are also unclear how many of these people have challenged
the decision to take them off of Incapacity Benefit and Employment
and Support Allowance.
The
remaining two thirds of people appear to have been transferred
from Incapacity Benefit to the new benefit Employment and
Support Allowance. The government tells us that 38% of these
people have been found fit to complete work related activity
and therefore they have been put into the Work Related Activity
Group of Employment and Support Allowance.
It
seems that the rest of the people have been put into the Support
Group of Employment and Support Allowance.
My
health is deteriorating and I won’t be able to carry
on working much longer. What should I do?
Get
advice – you may be able to get Statutory Sick Pay from
your employer or be eligible for Employment and Support Allowance
and Disability Living Allowance from the Jobcentre.
Please
go to the link below for more information about these benefits
and Statutory Sick Pay and click on the ‘Opening Hours’
button on the left of our homepage to find out when and how
you can get advice.
Where
can I find independent information about the Employment and
Support Allowance and the Work Capability Assessment?
http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/index/b_employment_and_support_allowance.pdf
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