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
What’s changing
Incapacity benefit
and
Income support
Employment and Support Allowance:
Income-based
and
contribution–based benefit
ESA – first 13 weeks
Basic allowance(Income-based or contributory)
Income based premiums/housing costs
Three Assessments
To get ESA
To decide level of benefit
To inform action plan
Revised PCA
Work-related activity/support group
Work-focused health assessment
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
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
Limited capability for work-related activity
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
ESA – after 13 weeks
Basic allowance(Income-based or contributory)
Work-related component or support component(Income-based or contributory)
Income-based premiums/housing costs
WRA group – what is expected?
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’
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
Sanctions and safeguards
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