Kevin Nuttall
A bolt out of the blue - 12 month limit on Contributory Employment and Support Allowance
The government keeps sending thunderbolts to hit people of working age who find they have to resort to welfare benefits. The latest bolt came out of the blue and caught everyone by surprise. Suddenly, without warning, letters started dropping through peoples’ doors to say that their Contributory Employment and Support Allowance would end on 30 April. So what is Contributory Employment and Support Allowance, what’s happening to it and what action can be taken?
Moving from incapacity benefits to Employment and Support Allowance and the ESA50 assessment form
Many people with a visual impairment have now been contacted by the Department of Work and Pensions with a view to transferring from incapacity benefits to Employment and Support Allowance. The first part of the process, after initial contact, is to send an ESA50 form for completion. This blog looks at how to complete the sight related sections of the form.
Moving from incapacity benefits to Employment and Support Allowance
The Government is transferring people claiming Incapacity Benefit, Severe Disablement Allowance and Income Support on incapacity grounds to Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) by 2014. These changes began in March 2011and have now gathered pace.
Personal Independence Payment - have your say!
The government intends to phase out Disability Living Allowance for people of working age from 2013 onwards and replace it with a new benefit called Personal Independence Payment. Award of the new benefit will be based on an assessment conducted by a ‘trained assessor’.
Respect and dignity
The Hardest Hit campaign will culminate in a day of action on Wednesday 11 May 2011 with a march, lobby of Parliament and rally. Thousands of disabled people, as well as family and friends, will be marching to express solidarity and anger at the cuts threatening our benefits, services, jobs and rights. With 66% of blind and partially sighted people of working age currently unemployed, we will have a large presence. Hopefully the march will be peaceful, and in our dealings with politicians we must ensure that we uphold our respect and dignity.
Re-assessment for Employment and Support Allowance - help
Given the comments on my last blog Work Capability Assessment – infuriating, it seems that many others share my anger and concerns. No matter what we think, the re-assessment will take place for people currently claiming Incapacity Benefit, Severe Disablement Allowance, Income Support on grounds of illness or disability, or national insurance credits where Incapacity Benefit cannot be paid. We must be ready for it.
Work capability assessment - infuriating!
Have you ever wished you could be the sort of person who remains calm and level headed no matter the adversity? Perhaps you are. I’m not. It’s not in my DNA. When staring into the face of blatant injustice I become infuriated, so I beg you to let me have a rant.
Moving off incapacity benefits - the Burnley pilot
As the Welfare Rights Officer for Action for Blind People North West Region I am braced for a major benefit change that will eventually affect everyone who is claiming working age incapacity benefits. For some people in Burnley and Aberdeen the change has come sooner rather than later.
What you need to know about the DLA higher rate mobility component for severe visual impairment
The right of the most severely sight impaired people under the age of 65 to be able to claim the higher rate of the mobility component of Disability Living Allowance is about to become law. This has not been affected by the recently announced benefit cuts. The change will take effect from 11 April 2011. It is the direct result of a concerted campaign by the RNIB supported by Action for Blind People, other charities and many individuals.
There but for fortune
I heard a quote on the radio last week whilst eating my cornflakes: 'People who get up every morning to go to work don't want to see the curtains closed in the houses of people on benefit'. Can you guess who said it?
Kevin works as a welfare rights officer at Action for Blind People in Lancashire.
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