petition DWP don't abolish contribution based ESA

rogerblack

blackstar wrote: »

If they do remove the national insurance contribution based ESA and JSA welfare benefits how soon do you think they will do it? Do you think they will do it immediately? ie on the day they announce it on the budget day?

My best guess is that this is a misinterpretation of measures to bring in 'contributory' elements into UC.
That would involve removing 'new style' cJSA and cESA, and new regulations for UC.
It is already - in specified areas - impossible to claim income-based ESA and JSA for people meeting the gateway criteria onto UC. (I'm unsure yet if this applies to any ESA claimants in very small numbers).

It would make a good deal of sense in principle not to have three seperate (cJSA, cESA, UC) benefits, but to - for example - in some circumstances treat the household income as X pounds lower, enabling more UC to be paid if the contributory conditions were met.

If the household income was treated as 100 pounds/week lower, this would in many circumstances mean that an additional 65 pounds of UC were paid.

This would fit well with the governments policies.
It would then have the benefit cap applied on top.

Anyone now claiming cESA or cJSA would be moved over at some point to UC, possibly with transitional protection for the amount they are paid - as the household transfers over.

Those now claiming irESA or irJSA would migrate over as already legislated for.

melbury

I wouldn't have thought a Conservative government would dare do such a thing as the backlash would be phenomenal. It sounds far more like something that the Labour party would come up with. Talk about everything going topsy turvy:(

rbcjhub

Hi all,
What concerns me most about the possibilty of scrapping contribution based is this:
My dad is esa.
He was initially on IB and after a medical was found fit for work and subsequently his esa stopped.
We appealled and at the time he got esa paid at the assessment rate (before they changed the rules).
On the 22 august 2013 he received a letter stating that his contribution based would run out 17th of October 2013 and from then on he would recieve income based (which he already did get a portion of esa income based as he gets a topup for my mam/his wife)
His appeal was set for the 21st of october 2013, which he won, and placed into support group.
I cannot find anywhere that suggests he would be on income based fully and not partial contribution based and income based.
He too frightened to speak to dwp, even if it was just to give them permission to speak to me and they wont speak to me directly.

rogerblack

rbcjhub wrote: »

His appeal was set for the 21st of october 2013, which he won, and placed into support group.
I cannot find anywhere that suggests he would be on income based fully and not partial contribution based and income based.

If you are subject to 'time limiting' on contributory ESA and are then placed in the support group, your payment resumes as ESA(C).
This is the intended way it works, and is not an error.

rbcjhub

rogerblack wrote: »

If you are subject to 'time limiting' on contributory ESA and are then placed in the support group, your payment resumes as ESA(C).
This is the intended way it works, and is not an error.

Even if the contributions stopped before he was placed into support group?

I did get some generic advice from dwp who said as my dad gets a topup for my mam, his award is treated as income based, additionally she also stated that even if they cut contribution based, my dad would be placed onto (full) income based because of his income.
I hope this is the case, for their sake.

rogerblack

rbcjhub wrote: »

Even if the contributions stopped before he was placed into support group?

If you have the contributions to get ESA(C) at the beginning of the claim, then even if you exceed 52 weeks in the assessment + work-related groups, and your payment stops, if you later worsen - without stopping claiming ESA, and are placed into the support group, payments resume.
Even if this is years later.
You do not have to meet the contribution conditions at the point of the worsening, just at the beginning of the claim.

rbcjhub

rogerblack wrote: »

If you have the contributions to get ESA(C) at the beginning of the claim, then even if you exceed 52 weeks in the assessment + work-related groups, and your payment stops, if you later worsen - without stopping claiming ESA, and are placed into the support group, payments resume.
Even if this is years later.
You do not have to meet the contribution conditions at the point of the worsening, just at the beginning of the claim.

Thank you for your input. What is your opinion on the latter part of my last post?

rogerblack

rbcjhub wrote: »

Thank you for your input. What is your opinion on the latter part of my last post?

If you are entitled to any ESA(IR) payment, in general, ESA(C) is irrelevant.
This is because the two benefits are paid at the same rates, with some extra premiums on top.

This is not the case if there is a pension involved.
If time-limiting applies to your ESA(C) and you have any entitlement to ESA(IR) - ESA(IR) will completely replace ESA(C).

melbury

I (hopefully) don't think that IDS would dare do away with contribution based ESA. If he did then people should be up in arms and demanding a reduction in NI payments.