ESA to be cut?

It says removing the £30 top-up for WRAG claimants would give people less reason to worry that they were getting the “wrong” outcome from their assessment

can anyone explain this nugget to me?

JHogg - 02 July 2015 10:49 AM

It says removing the £30 top-up for WRAG claimants would give people less reason to worry that they were getting the “wrong” outcome from their assessment

can anyone explain this nugget to me?

I think it comes from the same brainerd who decided that you make work pay for low income families by cutting tax credits and solving poverty by abolishing income measures…...

On a similar vein, I don’t understand how changing the name of the Work Capability Assessment to the Employment Capability Assessment will “incentivise” anyone.

Benny Fitzpatrick - 02 July 2015 11:00 AM

On a similar vein, I don’t understand how changing the name of the Work Capability Assessment to the Employment Capability Assessment will “incentivise” anyone.

Yes indeed, I wasn’t previously aware of the widely differing connotations between the terms “work” and “employment” previously…..

Paul_Treloar_CPAG - 02 July 2015 10:50 AM

JHogg - 02 July 2015 10:49 AM

It says removing the £30 top-up for WRAG claimants would give people less reason to worry that they were getting the “wrong” outcome from their assessment

can anyone explain this nugget to me?

I think it comes from the same brainerd who decided that you make work pay for low income families by cutting tax credits and solving poverty by abolishing income measures…...

And flows from Lord Freud’s assertion that 2/3 of ESA claimants are actually capable of work (and on the assumption that a ‘new’ ECA will correctly identify a persons employment capabilities (employability in the real world?) and that there will be quality and tailored support available from JCP and providers by fully and appropriately trained staff?)?

This sort of meddling via nomenclature is pointless except for sound bites and spin.

I can imagine the test reflecting a modern office - can you squeeze the stapler? Seal the envelope? Deduct £7.34 from £10.00? (mind you there’s people in work who can’t do that without the electronic till.)

The Think-Tank doc ends on:

The Government must avoid making short-term cuts that will erode the wellbeing of those on very low incomes and instead focus on the drivers of demand. As such, the Government should prioritise moving people into and keeping them in work. It should also focus on addressing the structural drivers of the three biggest benefit budgets: Tax Credits, Housing Benefit and sickness and disability benefits.

We’ve ended a phase of change from IB to ESAII and the results are IMO less accurate than they were in the 1990’s.

Accuracy is important as if the system is seen as unfair by the public then they lose faith and won’t support that system. Anyone who’s lost their benefit on swapping from IB to ESA or failing to get into the SG when they ‘know’ someone down the street etc. Likewise with PIP/DLA/AA.

Of course that inaccuracy may be welcomed as it’s a change enabler.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3144172/Holy-handouts-Jobless-superhero-fan-dressed-Batman-abseil-skyscraper-claims-disability-benefits.html

The problem is the one-off assessment carried out either in the early quarter of a claim or as an annual event or so. The person carrying out the test is ‘god’ whose word is all.

Another issue is the push/pull of so many different opinions - you should be on this, or that, or this group or that group

Surely the ‘brains’ could work out that a longer assessment comprising of different elements would produce a more accurate picture of the subject?

There are Occupational Therapists, Work Psychologists (DWP employs the most in UK), Disability assessors working for the local authority and medical staff at hospitals and the GP all currently in employment.

Personally I would have thought a report from each of those depts would be less than that 0.5Billion GBP?

I am trying to get statistics together to enable our Chief Officer to make a statement about the changes that will be announced in the budget.  I am struggling to find how many ESA claimants are in the Work Related Activity Group and how many of those are in Wales.  Can anyone help me by pointing me in the right direction, please?  I have the total number of claimants but need the breakdown.

Thanks

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/esa-outcomes-of-work-capability-assessments-claims-made-to-sep-2014-and-appeals-to-mar-2015

Table 11 I think may help

John Birks - 02 July 2015 11:21 AM

This sort of meddling via nomenclature is pointless except for sound bites and spin.

I can imagine the test reflecting a modern office - can you squeeze the stapler? Seal the envelope? Deduct £7.34 from £10.00? (mind you there’s people in work who can’t do that without the electronic till.)

Applying any such tests to welfare rights advisers has always produced worrying results!

Thinking of the old “ability to take a message” for starters.

Slightly more seriously, this has been coming. Terrifying consequences for many clients who struggle mentally and financially during the assessment period but keep going confident they will qualify for at least an increase once ESA is finalised. Under this there isn’t even that to look forward to.

John Birks - 02 July 2015 12:33 PM

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/esa-outcomes-of-work-capability-assessments-claims-made-to-sep-2014-and-appeals-to-mar-2015

Table 11 I think may help

Thank you.  I’m impressed by how quickly you replied.  That table appears to contain the numbers assessed between Oct 2010 and March 2014, which is of some use, but what I really need is the figure of claimants currently (or as near as possible) receiving WRAG component.  Any other stats you know of?

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics?keywords=ESA&topics;[]=all&departments;[]=department-for-work-pensions&from;_date=&to;_date=

Hopefully there is something in that lot for you.

Does this help?

This one gives Wales - http://tabulation-tool.dwp.gov.uk/100pc/esa/ccgor/esa_phase/a_carate_r_ccgor_c_esa_phase_nov14.html

Reading the rationale for current proposals (pr leaks), I was struck by a weird sense of deja vu…..then I remembered why:

However, fundamental issues remain:

• Little is done to prevent people moving onto incapacity benefits.
• The gateway to benefits is poorly managed – with claimants receiving incapacity benefits before satisfying the main medical test.
• Benefits trap people into a lifetime of dependency – the longer a person remains on benefits, the less chance they have of leaving.
• There are perverse benefits incentives – paying more the longer people claim.
• Almost nothing is expected of claimants – and little support is offered. Those who try to plan their return to work through volunteering and training feel that they run the risk of proving themselves capable of work and therefore losing their entitlement.
• The very name of incapacity benefits sends a signal that a person is incapable and that there is nothing that can be done to help get them back into the labour market.

WELFARE REFORM BILL 2006 – REGULATORY IMPACT ASSESSMENT that ultimately led to the introduction of ESA in 2008.

Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose….

Benny Fitzpatrick - 02 July 2015 11:00 AM

On a similar vein, I don’t understand how changing the name of the Work Capability Assessment to the Employment Capability Assessment will “incentivise” anyone.

Perhaps it will incentivise those people who might otherwise have been considering self-employment. Clearly people with disabilities are expected to be preparing themselves for a life of exploitative drudgery.