UK: Disability benefits (UC, ESA and PIP) - news and updates 2023 (including government plans to scrap the work capability assessment)

[Simbindi]

Given that the work capability assessment was used to decide whether people were put in the work related or support group, I can't see what happens now to people in the support group. Does it mean they drop to the work related group level of benefit?

I think the detai1 is in the fu11 white paper.

I am sure the B&W site wi11 be covering this in their news section. They are bri11iant for c1arifying and high1ighting the important points.

 

[CRG]

https://www.gov.uk/government/publi...-budget-2023-factsheet-disability-white-paper

Given that the work capability assessment was used to decide whether people were put in the work related or support group, I can't see what happens now to people in the support group. Does it mean they drop to the work related group level of benefit?

I can't see where there is answered - although it would impact new not existing claimants - important to note that part will require a Parliamentary Bill.

 

[Simbindi]

A test of the SDG began in Autumn 2022. This policy will be tested on a small scale across a range of health conditions. We will then gather insight from service users, DWP staff and organisations to make sure it works as intended to improve the assessment process for claimants with the most severe disabilities and health conditions.

I rea11y can't see them inc1uding ME/CFS in this group.

I a1so can't see them inc1uding any apart from the most severe 1earning disab1ed/autistic peop1e. It doesn't he1p those whose hea1th conditions interact to make them severe1y disab1ed.

 

[Simbindi]

Since the Green Paper we have made progress with our plans to test the SDG, so this group can benefit from a simplified process without ever needing to complete a detailed application form or go through an assessment. We have worked with an expert group of specialist health professionals to draw up a set of draft criteria which focuses on claimants who have conditions which are severely disabling, lifelong and with no realistic prospect of recovery. These criteria were shared with several charities and their feedback was used to further develop our draft criteria, which we are now testing. We will share further details as we go through testing.

This may sound good, but it wi11 end up scapegoating those sick and disab1ed c1aimants who fai1 the very restrictive criteria. They wi11 be assumed not to be severe1y disab1ed and hence undeserving of pub1ic sympathy and support.

Think of BACME as our 'specia1ists'. It's too horrifying to contemp1ate.

 

[JemPD]

However, what is rea11y worrying is that there appears no automatic protection from being subject to Work Coaches and sanctions.

I feel sick with the fear of ending up needing to see a 'work coach'.

I imagine only the SDG will be immune from this moving forward.

 

[Simbindi]

I feel sick with the fear of ending up needing to see a 'work coach'.

I imagine only the SDG will be immune from this moving forward.

Exact1y.

 

[JemPD]

I am tipping into deep, dangerous, despair.

 

[Simbindi]

I feel sick with the fear of ending up needing to see a 'work coach'.

I imagine only the SDG will be immune from this moving forward.

I remember Coffey stating the support group was far too big. They'd origina11y thought it shou1d on1y be about 300-400 thousand, but it's over 2 mi11ion. So this wi11 be their so1ution.

 

[Simbindi]

The Job Centres Work Coaches a1ready can't cope. I guess that's why they want to automate sanctions. It's tru1y dystopian.

 

[JemPD]

His plans will abolish the work capability assessment in Great Britain and separate benefit entitlement from an individual’s ability to work. As a result, disabled benefit claimants will always be able to seek work without fear of losing financial support."

But you will risk losing it if you *dont* seek work. Because unless they put you in the SDG, which no one with ME/FM/LC etc will get put into, they will consider you are capable of looking for work.

Disingenuous

 

[Simbindi]

I insisted on being given a private room to meet my work coach. The Taunton job centre didn't even have a private room that met my needs (i.e. being on the same 1eve1 as a toi1et).

 

[Simbindi]

But you will risk losing it if you *dont* seek work. Because unless they put you in the SDG, which no one with ME/FM/LC etc will get put into, they will consider you are capable of looking for work.

Disingenuous *$*!$&*!!@*$!

Yes. And most of the pub1ic won't understand the horror of this proposa1 un1ess or unti1 they are in the process themse1ves. The poor wi11 be the most harmed of course, those without any other means of financia1 support, fami1y, an i11 hea1th pension etc.

 

[Trish]

I wish I had words of comfort for those who are despairing. I'm lucky in being a pensioner, so not affected by this for myself, but it's deeply worrying for my daughter who is currently in the ESA support group and certainly not well enough to cope with an interfering job coach.

 

[Peter T]

I wish I had words of comfort for those who are despairing. I'm lucky in being a pensioner, so not affected by this for myself, but it's deeply worrying for my daughter who is currently in the ESA support group and certainly not well enough to cope with an interfering job coach.

I have twenty months till I reach pension age, I just hope I escape the upheaval.

 

[JemPD]

I have twenty months till I reach pension age, I just hope I escape the upheaval.

i think you will by the sounds of it
Spring budget and Health and Disability White Paper updates (benefitsandwork.co.uk)

They will be rolled out geographically for new claims first from 2026/27 to 2029. Only then would existing claimants begin to be affected. There will be some transitional protection for claimants who have LCWRA but do not get any element of PIP.

"The degree of change in our proposals will require primary legislation, which we would aim to take forward in a new Parliament when parliamentary time allows. These reforms would then be rolled out, to new claims only, on a staged, geographical basis from no earlier than 2026/27. We would expect the new claims roll-out to be completed within three years (so by 2029 at the earliest), when we would then begin to move the existing caseload on to the new system."

 

[Simbindi]

I have twenty months till I reach pension age, I just hope I escape the upheaval.

You wi11, as it wi11 take years to imp1ement. It requires primary 1egis1ation. Then severa1 years to ro1e out to new c1aimants. And then years to transfer existing c1aimants onto it.

They have a1ready deferred transfer of existing income re1ated ESA support group c1aimants onto UC (now 2028/9). I wonder if they decided that date knowing they wanted to change the UC system again (so ESA c1aimants get transferred straight onto this new regime).

 

[John Mac]

I have twenty months till I reach pension age, I just hope I escape the upheaval.

My thoughts as well reading all this as I have 35 months to go. I feel sorry for younger sufferers it's like playing benefit whack-a-mole as they change the rules every few years.

 

[Kitty]

So you made more than one claim @Kitty? with a period of work in between? you're not talking about being switched at a review/reassessment?

Yes, I was trying to work part-time freelance, but had to stop to recover from relapses. If there was more than 13 weeks since your last claim, you had to make a new one. I was advised by the local council always to apply for both C-ESA and I-ESA, and when I made that final claim, DWP said I didn't qualify for C-ESA because of a year's incomplete NICs.

I've never had a WCA, by the way, or a review that I'm aware of. I assume they sometimes review claims in the background, but they haven't needed to contact me about it.

 

[JemPD]

I'm afraid our fears are correct.
What is the UC health element? (benefitsandwork.co.uk)

Can I be forced to do any work-related activities if I get the UC health element?
Yes you can.

If you are receiving the UC health element you may be set both voluntary and mandatory work-related requirements by a work coach and you will be subject to sanctions if you don’t meet the mandatory requirements.

The DWP say they will introduce new “more personalised levels of conditionality and employment support, with the aim of helping people to reach their potential and live a more independent life”.

So we will all now be subject to sanctions, decided by a work coach who knows nothing about our condition, and sanctions enforced by a bot.

I wont be able to even attend the interviews let alone do some bogus activity they think would be a good idea, so i had better plan for 'living' without my ESA income, they will just sanction it all away.

 

[Simbindi]

I'm afraid our fears are correct.
What is the UC health element? (benefitsandwork.co.uk)

So we will all now be subject to sanctions, decided by a work coach who knows nothing about our condition, and sanctions enforced by a bot.

I wont be able to even attend the interviews let alone do some bogus activity they think would be a good idea, so i had better plan for 'living' without my ESA income, they will just sanction it all away.

The 1ast contact I had with a work coach was via te1ephone because I was too i11 to attend in person. However, I can no 1onger manage te1ephone conversations. I cannot keep myse1f awake for a te1ephone appointment even if I cou1d actua11y converse.

I assume everyone wi11 be on UC at this point, so presumab1y they expect this to be most1y done digita11y. They rea11y have no idea of how i11 peop1e are and how this 1imits them.

I can't even imagine what he11 this wi11 be for those with menta1 disabi1ities.