Employment Support Allowance

 Employment Support Allowance

Types of ESA

The 2 types of ESA are:

• contribution-based ESA – usually you get this if you’ve got enoughNational Insurance contributions
• income-related ESA – usually you get this on its own or on top of contribution-based ESA, if you’re on a low income

Contribution-based ESA

Contribution-based ESA lasts 1 year if you’re in the work-related activity group. You may be able to re-apply at least 12 weeks after your contribution-based ESA ends. You may qualify again depending on:

• National Insurance contributions you paid in different tax years
• whether your health deteriorates and you’re placed in the support group

There’s no time limit on how long you can claim contribution-basedESA if you’re in the support group.

Income-related ESA

You may qualify for income-related ESA if you no longer qualify for contribution-based ESA.

How much you get depends on your circumstances. There’s no time limit on income-related ESA.

Benefits sanctions

Your ESA can be reduced if you don’t go to interviews or do work-related activity as agreed with your adviser. The reduction can continue for up to 4 weeks.

You’ll get a ‘sanction letter’. Tell your ESA adviser if you have a good reason for missing the interview.

You’ll get another letter if the decision is made to give you a sanction. Your benefit will only be affected once a decision has been made.

If you get a sanction you:

• can ask for the decision to be looked at again
• can also ask for a ‘hardship payment’ - contact Jobcentre Plus

 

There is a strong argument to say that this is a research to test the public reaction as well as a cost cutting process

Does the tax payer feel that a disabled or ill  person require the funding?

I have written on several occasion that the  monthly ONS stats do not incluse these figures clearly or indeed the Universal Credit

For more info on Employment Support Allowance check out Benefits2work.com members page

A Sanction-where the money is stopped

The number of sanctions applied are staggering

The DWP sanctions have been Published
Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) was introduced in 2008 to replace incapacity benefit.

In the first three months of 2014, there were 15,955 sanctions on ESA claimants, compared with 3,574 in the same period last year.

Only ESA claimants in the work-related activity group, where an adviser assists them with training and skills, can be subject to sanctions, which are handed out for failing to attend a mandatory interview or failing to take part in a work-related activity.

There are 552,000 benefit claimants in the ESA work-related activity group and they receive up to £101.15 a week, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) said.

Matt Downie, director of policy and external affairs at Crisis, said: "This is a shocking escalation in the use of sanctions and we are deeply concerned about the impact on people's lives.

"Sanctions are cruel and can leave people utterly destitute - without money even for food and at severe risk of homelessness. It is difficult to see how they are meant to help people prepare for work.

"Our own research has shown that many homeless people face unfair and inappropriate sanctions, often handed out due to errors on the part of the job centre or work programme provider.

"We want the government to commit to an urgent, wide-ranging review looking at the appropriateness and effectiveness of sanctions, especially for people at risk of or experiencing homelessness."

I have looked at the Stats and here are some of the figures

The figures make for interesting reading

We feature the Birmingham figures here

			Decision to apply a sanction (adverse) 3		Other decisions taken:
					Decision not to apply a sanction (non-adverse) 4	Reserved decisions5	Cancelled referrals6
GREAT BRITAIN			1,282,497		714,408	134,775	681,192
CENTRAL ENGLAND			280,437		163,554	26,031	128,974
	Birmingham and Solihull		40,256		25,605	3,158	16,340
		Birmingham - Airport	-		-	-	-
		Birmingham - Aston	-		-	-	-
		Birmingham - Centennial House	1,934		1,374	139	741
		Birmingham - Chelmsley Wood	2,250		1,435	211	932
		Birmingham - Five Ways	-		-	-	-
		Birmingham - Harbone Lane	2,840		1,889	244	1,342
		Birmingham - High Street	-		-	-	-
		Birmingham - Holyhead Road	-		-	-	-
		Birmingham - Kings Heath	2,980		1,877	189	1,263
		Birmingham - Ladywood	3,015		1,673	170	1,019
		Birmingham - Meridian House	3,096		2,208	200	985
		Birmingham - Northfield	3,436		2,688	295	1,622
		Birmingham - Ravenhurst	-		-	-	-
		Birmingham - Small Heath	-		-	-	-
		Birmingham - Soho Road	4,219		1,982	258	1,544
		Birmingham - Sparkhill	4,862		3,737	473	2,046
		Birmingham - Sutton New Road	3,049		2,027	277	1,325
		Birmingham - Washwood Heath	3,729		1,946	339	1,876
		Birmingham - Yardley	1,471		1,074	91	535
		Solihull - Park House	2,369		1,124	192	764

prosperous areas

	Harrogate - Victoria Avenue	1,514		1,227	137	463
	Hessle - The Weir	826		435	76	275

I have highlighted Burminham Ladywood as it used to have the Highest

Other challenged area shows lower figures

Hull - Britannia House

8,470

4,110

499

3,261

Rotherham - Chantry House

6,991

3,574

728

3,848

Liverpool - Toxteth

1,448

1,428

131

1,344