Cuts-Cutting ESA by £30 a week in line with Jobseekers. Which ESA group will be hit??

gemmaking

One of the Tory cuts leaked has been
- Cutting ESA by £30 a week (inline with Jobseeskers allowance)

An internal Whitehall paper says ESA payments of up to £102.15-a-week do not “incentivise” sick or disabled people to find a job.

It suggests they could be slashed for some claimants down to the level of standard jobseekers’ allowance.

If they do this, what 'element' of the ESA payment will go? (as there are many contributions towards one ESA payment, especially for the disabled)

and what Group of the ESA is this for? (Support group? Wrag Group?

is any group safe/shielded from this change, if it goes ahead ?

KxMx

Right now it's a proposal- whether it becomes reality or not remains to be seen- either in next week's budget or Autumns.

This proposal related to ESA WRAG. Abolishing the WRAG top-up which leaves baseline ESA = JSA rate.

There are also "changes" being considered to the Support Group. No other details are out there.

As ever, it's all unconfirmed speculation but I expect ESA to be hit and WRAG are the most vulnerable IMO.

rogerblack

http://www.reform.uk/reformer/moving-towards-a-new-welfare-state/
Seems to be where this is coming from.

To address this the Government should aim to remove the perverse incentives to claim Employment Support Allowance (ESA) built in to the current system. Taking the opportunity of UC, it should remove the financial incentive by reducing the Work Related Activity Group rate to that of Jobseeker’s Allowance. The level of conditionality and assessment process for ESA claimants should also be reformed to ensure that people with temporary and/or partial work capability are not left languishing on benefits.

'The work group is for the less severely ill, who are likely to be able to with support find work in the near future'.

The unfortunate part is that the policy is formed on the basis that the one sentence descriptions are accurate.


On this basis - it's not quite unreasonable to time-limit the benefit to a year if it's contributory.

And perhaps even to remove the payment altogether.

But there are many who will be in this group for life due to their condition (absenting legislative change), and whos likelyhood of employment is tiny, even if they are 'encouraged' by stopping their benefits. (only if they have no other income, and are not part of a couple)
The group names and short descriptions are basically meaningless.
What is important is the legal tests to get into each group.

They may have had the intent of making the descriptions accurate when they started out on the legislative process - but it's very much not this way anymore.

For example - if you have an injury and can't put your hands into either shirt pocket, you are entitled to the support group.

But if you have multiple complex disabilities that will essentially prevent you ever working, if you don't quite meet the criteria for the support group, you can end up at best in the work-related group.

Someone can be found fully fit, for example if they use a wheelchair, and can't walk, can slowly wheel themselves over 200m. Only work for 90 minutes at a time before becoming utterly exhausted. Have difficulty conveying or understanding more than simple messages from strangers. Once every couple of months has a sudden accident where they lose control of their bowels. Can barely operate a washing machine. Several hours a day can't cope with trying to talk to new people.

baxie

I am one of those people that is in ESA Wrag. I have mental health problems and some physical problems, but mainly mental health.

My problems do not enable me to be placed in the Support Group, hence being put into Wrag. However the problem is that my condition continues to deteriorate, and the extra burden placed on people like me by this governement through bad mouthing and the ESA WCA process has brought me to the brink of suicide a few times.

Now I read the "leak" about cutting ESA Wrag to be in line with JSA, to "incentivise" us, the only thing this incentivises me to do is to finally end it.

There needs to be more groups than Support and Wrag. I am unlikely to work again because of my condition, but also due to the some peoples attitude and, the stigma attached, to anyone with mental health problems. Therefore there should be a group for people unlikely to work again but not needing the same level of support as those in the Support Group.

When are they going to stop punishing us? Indeed, why are they punishing us?
Do they think that we do not suffer enough?

nannytone_2

people in the support group get no extra 'support'
they just tick one of the bees. it has nothing at all to do with how sick/disabled they are.
i am in the support group because i can't read 16 point print or braille.
if i could read braille, then id be in the WRAG.

how many employers do you think use braille on a day to day basis?
very few blind/sight impaired people are taught braille nowadays ( apart from this born blind/partially sighted)
i personally can't see it being any easier for a braille reader to find employment, than a non braille reader,
but they will get their benefit cut and i won't