ESA(c) 12 Mth Limit?

From my understanding CB.ESA from April 2012 will only last 12 months and this will be retrospective.

Its probably going to b ecome law. There seems to a almost universal political consensus and most of the media think radical change is needed to the sickness benefit system. Perhaps changes are needed but the 12 month time linmiting will impoverish families/couples where one partner works and earns a certain amount per week, (and it isnt much) because the benefit will be no longer payable after 12 months, and those who have savings over the limnit will be forced to live on them until they diminish to the level at which benefit can be paid

This is a shock to the very many long term claimants being migrated to ESA, in some casess, for 20 years or more on benefits , and a good deal with mental health problems.

It isn't about providing incentives to reinvigorate long lost interest in the world, to get a a job, it really is about Govt saving money, and equally, about recalibrating expectations , meaning working families with a sick partner, can expect to carry that person

I do wonder about whether a millionnaire in the support group can be fairly non means tested, and yet a paid up NI contributor with 16.000 in the bank would get nothing unless they too were in the support group, or Mr. Bloggs at No 1 acacia avenue can ask his wife to giuve up her job so he can carry on with his ESA after 12 monmths, and Mr. Smith at No 2 has to spend his nest egg after 12 months before he can claim again in the future

So many anomalies, very much unfairness

It is nothing short of a disaster, and over the next three years, IF this is passed into law, it will remove hundreds of thousands from benefit, and split up countless relationships and families.

However, imagine now with our economy faltering, and europe floundering witha possible economic catastrophe in the near future, there will be very few voices who will argue to preserve things as they are as regards no time limit, because anything that doesnt 'get the bill down' is presently a sort of heresy.