IF ESA IS STOPPED NEXT YEAR - WHAT NEXT!

Thats exactly right, it is a breach of the insurance contract OK not a case in law as such, as Parliament is supreme, but this retrospective change is a break with convention. It would be said they need to save money aka the deficit, and also to incentivise long term disabled . Well I agree with deficit reduction and incentivising but not at the expense of the 'deal' for NI payers and not if it renders claimants dependent on their partners, who themselves may in fact not bring home much money, and nor to force claimants to live on their savings when the deal had been a non means tested NI claim.
The other thing is the unqauntifiable damage to the mental health of all claimants on contrib ESA of the knowledge that the clock is ticking for 12 months, and the awareness that at the end they will become dependent on their partner, as if they were a child on its parents/
And for those currently on IB yet to be migrated, and in receipt of the age related addition, they will be migrated on a protected IB rate. But if their claim ends after the 12 months and thrre is some time before they qaulify for means tested ESA they will be paid at the ESA rate, likelyt to be lower than they previously got on migration (the old IB plus age addition) I swear I am the only person to notice this in the many months of discussion and protests by charities

pete17971 wrote:

mike1983 wrote:

Gordon wrote:

mike1983 wrote:

so everyone claiming ESA will get stopped after 12 months or in april next year

Everyone receiving Contribution Based ESA who have been in the WRAG for 12 months will lose their eligibility for ESA(CB), but will remain eligible to receive Income Related ESA, subject to a means test involving assets, income, and partners working hours.

Anyone already receiving ESA(IR) or in the Support Group will not be affected.

Gordon

What so all of us on IB benefit, when we claim ESA if we get put in wrag we either have to claim JSA or just starve cos we have no money, i have yet to recive my for and im worried that i wont be put in support group for mental health issues like autism,depression,epilepsy, if this is wrong please explain in simple terms

Hi,

it is difficult to put it any simpler as ESA can be so complex, not least complicated by the proposals in the Welfare Reform Bill 2011.

However, as proposed, if one claims Contributory ESA (i.e. based on ones N.I.Contribution record) and is placed in the Work Related Activity Group, after being paid the benefit for one year, no further payments will be made.

Claimants who have no other income or savings may then qualify for Income Related ESA (i.e. means tested ESA) and will continue to receive payments of that benefit instead.

Those who do have some form of other income, such as from a working partner, or pension etc, or have savings may not qualify for Income Related ESA so cannot claim this benefit.

The above applies to those placed in the Work Related Activity Group. Those put into the Support Group are not affected.


However, even if not actually getting paid any benefit when the one year of Contributory ESA in the WRAG has expires, it is worth keeping the claim open (without payment) in order that:

1. Ones National Insurance Credits are maintained (which helps contribute towards ones State Pension) and

2. It would permit one to claim Contributory ESA in the Support Group if ones illness deteriorates at some point in the future (and at that time qualify for the Support Group).

I don't think it is possible to explain it any simpler.

Pete

Thanks pete i just checked on DWP site what the difference is between Contribution and income based and i gathered that income based is for people like me who dnt have alot of money or a job whereas contribution based is for people who have worked or there partner worked in the past now i have looked this up im not wooried as il be in the income based one

It has not gone unnoticed by me! I think the government know exactly what they are doing. It is shameful, for people who have worked, some for all of their adult life and have paid NI contributions in the belief they would at least receive some form of income, after all that is my interpretation of "insurance" They are now being penalised for having made those contributions. How can it it right or just?

In my case, I have a full 30yrs contributions, I have been placed in the WRAG without a medical and have received my ESA85A which states "I advise that a return to work is unlikely for at least 2 years" Can someone please explain to me why if a return to work is unlikely within two years, how come I have been placed in the WRAG? Of course I understand that after 12 months I shall receive nothing as I have a NHS pension as does my husband, but according to the ESA 85A I will be unlikely to be able to work, where is the logic in that? As far as I can see it is simply a cost saving exercise pure and simple. I will be ineligible for JSA as I will be unfit for work in their opinion but not entitled to ESA any longer as I have paid NI. What a shambles!
I am of course appealing>

It hasn't gone unnoticed by me either. after 36 years of nursing, I have just lost my job due to continuing ill-health. I have paid tax and NI for all these years and, in my ignorance, believed that I would receive help for as long as I might need it. My consultant says that my condition will not improve, but ESA will be paid for just one year (if I am 'lucky' enough to get it in the first place). So my contributions actually count for nothing as I will receive less than a person who has never worked. I believe this is simply to save money and massage the figures.

Seems to me that under this government the disabled and ill have no human rights.

Silver Shadow wrote:

Seems to me that under this government the disabled and ill have no human rights.

I think we'll leave this long thread at that! If other mods dont agree feel free to unlock