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Forum Home  →  Discussion  →  Work capability issues and ESA  →  Thread

Removal of WRA component vs IS/JSA Disability Premium - am i missing something?

Giles Elliott
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benefitsowl.info, Manchester

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I was delivering basic training on how means-tested benefits work yesterday (there’s nothing like delivering training to force one to see things clearly!) when something occurred to me, and now I’m worrying if (a) I’m missing something that everyone else has understood or (b) I’m NOT missing something that everyone else has understood

I was showing how the applicable amount for income related ESA parallels that of IS/ibJSA except that it loses the disability premium, but that this is balanced, sort of, by having either WRA or S components. I then warned the trainees that from April 2017 the WRA component is going. But hang on? What if someone gets DLA or PIP (etc)? As far as I can see the government’s intention to put (WRAG) ESA claimants in the same position - financially - as jobseekers (whatever we think about *that*) actually makes them worse off than jobseekers.

e.g. a claimant on JSA and on any rate of PIP who decides that they are too fit for work, will have to balance the advantages of not having to be available for work with the risk that, if they end up in the WRAG, will see themselves worse off by the value of the Dis Premium.

Please tell me that I’m wrong! (and if I’m not, has anybody else noticed this?)

Paul_Treloar_CPAG
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Advice and Rights Team, Child Poverty Action Group

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I don’t think you’re missing anything.

Similarly, the abolition of the WRA component will seriously affect sanctions - currently, ESA claimants lose the personal allowance but keep the WRAC, yet the change would mean that a sanction would see the whole of their benefit removed effectively, for an open-ended period until they comply.

1964
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Deputy Manager, Reading Community Welfare Rights Unit

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I hadn’t thought of that (either the DP or the sanction issue). Flipping good points and well worth flagging up.

Giles Elliott
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benefitsowl.info, Manchester

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The sanction issue hadn’t occurred to me. So the evolution of these rules is: originally sanctioned by having wrac removed and keeping the personal allowance, then having the personal allowance removed and keeping the wrac, and then having the personal allowance removed and being left with nothing. Sigh.

Advice NI
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Hi all, so just to clarify. WRAG being removed from ESA for new claimants from 2017, proposal contained in Welfare & Work Bill 2015? But UC does contain an additional amount for those deemed to have ‘Limited Capability for Work’ (WRAG) - provisions contained in the Welfare reform Act 2012? Seems a bit contradictory. P.S. over here in Northern Ireland Welfare Reform 2012 just awaiting Royal Assent - has taken a while!!! Anything else I need to be aware of re the WRAG?

Paul_Treloar_CPAG
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Advice and Rights Team, Child Poverty Action Group

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Advice NI - 26 November 2015 12:35 PM

Hi all, so just to clarify. WRAG being removed from ESA for new claimants from 2017, proposal contained in Welfare & Work Bill 2015? But UC does contain an additional amount for those deemed to have ‘Limited Capability for Work’ (WRAG) - provisions contained in the Welfare reform Act 2012? Seems a bit contradictory. P.S. over here in Northern Ireland Welfare Reform 2012 just awaiting Royal Assent - has taken a while!!! Anything else I need to be aware of re the WRAG?

The limited capability for work element of UC is also proposed to be abolished.

See this Welfare Rights Bulletin article that contains an overview of the 2015 Bill proposals Welfare Reform and Work Bill 2015

Advice NI
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Very many thanks.