........when does the WCA replace the PCA?

I thought from this October (2008) for all claimants IB or ESA.

Some colleagues say nay and the PCA will run alongside the WCA until 2011 or some date in the future.

The DWP say from 27th October 2008.

Peter Hain said in November 2007 it was going to be from October 2008.

The previous topic didn't come to a definitive conclusion as far as I remember.

http://www.rightsnet.org.uk/dc/dcboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=111&topic_id=2691&mode=full

What do you understand is happening in October?

As I understand it:
ESA for new claims only from 27 October
Existing incapacity benefits claimants stay on those benefits. Some people who reclaim after 27 October will go back onto existing benefits due to linking rules.
WCA will be applied to existing incapacity benefits claimants starting with under 25's from April 2009 and moving onto 25 and overs from April 2010.
Original intention was to keep existing claimants who passed the WCA on existing incapacity benefits until some unspecified transfer to ESA date in the future. But the latest Green Paper "No-one written off: reforming welfare to reward responsibility" is I think proposing that those who pass the WCA will then get ESA and current incapacity benefits will be abolished by 2013.

The Green Paper proposals are out for consultation till 22 October. So I guess we won't know for a while exactly what is happening with existing claimants.

If I'm wrong please let me know.

Nope, you're right. We had heard rumours that no PCA's from October 2008 just WCA's.) However, JC+ have said......."the WCA will be applied only to ESA customers from October 2008. This will of course mean customers who make a new claim due to illness or disability on or after 27th October and whose claim does not link with an earlier IB claim. If their claim links with an earlier IB claim they will continue to claim IB and will follow the PCA process for medical assessments.

You might be aware of changes introduced with the last budget that will require all customers under 25 to undergo a WCA rather than a PCA from April 09 whether they are claiming IB or ESA. In addition all ESA and IB customers will undergo a WCA rather than a PCA from 2010 at which point the PCA will be phased out."

Maybe it'll work the same way as Tax Credits what with HMRC migrating those people with child premiums over........?

As far as I am aware, existing IB claimants will be subject to the old PCA after October 2008.
However, from April 2009 the WCA will be introduced for IB claimants aged uder 25 and for eveone else from April 2010.
The Government has no intention of running a 2 tier system after 2010.
However care will have to be taken after Oct 08, to make sure they apply the right test to the right group of claimants.
I have visions of the WCA being applied to those who should be subject to the PCA.
On another subject, for those of you who have LSC contracts, I spoke to our contract manager about finacial eligibility for ESA claimants, and they stated the LSC are currently unaware of these changes. They are also unaware of the projected massive increase in appeals so have no plans to extend budjets to cover the cost of extra appeals.

My reading of the plans for changeover from PCA to WCA for existing claimants 25 and over is phased from 2010 to 2013, after which IB will also disappear and everyone will be on ESA.

My worry is that medical assessments will be run in tandem in the intervening period, quite probably with doctors switching between WCA and PCA in the course of a day - when you think of how they cope (or don't) already...

The latest Green Paper proposes that all existing IB claimants will be subject to the WCA with effect from 2009 until 2013 and makes no distinctions between under and over 25 year olds as in previous announcements.

Hadn't spotted that - thanks.

from DWP via latest NAWRA mailing in response to the question ''If a current IB customer has to attend a medical after introduction of ESA, will this be a PCA as now, or a new WCA' -

'Incapacity Benefit customers will continue to be assessed under the current Personal Capability Assessment rules.

However, from 2009 we will begin to apply the new Work Capability Assessment descriptors to existing Incapacity Benefit customers under the age of 25 as and when they are due to have their benefit entitlement reassessed. From 2010 we will begin to apply it to all existing incapacity benefit customers.'

Yes, i saw this yesterday as well. Clear as mud??? Will seek further clarification.