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Employment and Support Allowance

Employment and Support Allowance. Angela Toal CPAG in Scotland. Context and background. New deal for welfare – empowering people to work, January 2006: Reduce numbers on IB by one million Achieve 80% employment rate Welfare Reform Bill 2006 Welfare Reform Act, May 2007

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Employment and Support Allowance

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  1. Employment and Support Allowance Angela Toal CPAG in Scotland

  2. Context and background • New deal for welfare – empowering people to work, January 2006: • Reduce numbers on IB by one million • Achieve 80% employment rate • Welfare Reform Bill 2006 • Welfare Reform Act, May 2007 • Draft regulations, January 2007

  3. Incapacity benefit and Income support Employment and Support Allowance: Income-based and contribution–based benefit What’s changing

  4. Employment and Support Allowance

  5. ESA – first 13 weeks Income based premiums/housing costs Basic allowance (Income-based or contributory)

  6. To get ESA To decide level of benefit To inform action plan Three Assessments Revised PCA Work-related activity/ support group Work-focused health assessment

  7. Revised personal capability assessment • Assessment of ‘limited capability for work’ • Review of PCA • Some descriptors removed • Some new and revised descriptors • No exemption for severely disabled

  8. Work-related activity or support component? • Test of ‘limited capability for work-related activity’ • Depends on ability to undertake work-related activity • Must satisfy one of the physical or mental descriptors • Some exemptions

  9. Physical descriptors Can’t move more than 30m Can’t rise from sitting or move from one seat to another Can’t turn a tap or pick up £1 coin Can’t bring food/drink to mouth, chew or swallow Can’t be understood by speaking, writing, typing or sign language Mental descriptors Can’t wash, bring food or drink to mouth, chew or swallow without help or prompting Can’t learn simple task, or complete task day after learning Can’t plan, organise, solve problems, prioritise, switch tasks at all, or without prompting Limited capability for work-related activity

  10. ESA – after 13 weeks Income-based premiums/housing costs Work-related component or support component (Income-based or contributory) Basic allowance (Income-based or contributory)

  11. Work-focused health assessments Looks at barriers to getting or keeping work, claimants aspirations and views Report sent to personal adviser Pathways to Work Work-focused interviews, action plans Work-related activity - ‘as resources allow’ WRA group – what is expected?

  12. Work-related Activity • ‘Work tasters’ eg voluntary or permitted work • Condition Management Programmes eg NHS Expert Patients programmes • Improving employability eg basic skill programme, Jobcentre Plus or external training programmes • Jobsearch assistance, eg contact with NDDP, Disability Employment Advisers • Stabilising life eg cognitive behavioural therapy, assessing childcare options

  13. 50% reduction of WRA component 100% reduction after four weeks if do not fully comply in WFIs, WRHAs or WRA and cannot show good cause Safeguards before sanctions applied Sanctions and safeguards

  14. Concerns IS vs ESA Disability premium students passporting

  15. Thanks for listening

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