Kevin Nuttall
Viewing entries tagged with 'benefits'
Employment and Support Allowance - update
My last post on Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) back in September had a lot of interest. Since then the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) has given clearer guidance on how having severe sight impairment may entitle a person to be placed in the support group for ESA.
Housing Benefit Size Criteria aka the 'bedroom tax'
The new Housing Benefit size criteria rules come into effect from 1 April 2013. They are being called the 'Bedroom Tax' by opposition parties and the media. As the government seems to be making it up as it goes along, what on earth is going on?
PIP if you're on DLA
The Government has announced changes to the timetable for re-assessing people of working age, who are already getting Disability Living Allowance (DLA) to see if they will be moved on to Personal Independence Payment (PIP).
Universal Credit
Universal Credit is a new means tested benefit that will replace most of the existing means tested benefits paid to working age people including tax credits from 2013 onwards. What is it, when will it come in and how will it work?
Council Tax Support
The Welfare Reform Bill heralds the biggest change in the history of welfare benefits.
Put it off and pay the penalty
Managing your benefit claim can be difficult. Getting it wrong can end up in having to pay back an overpayment. From 1 October 2012 it may also result in a Civil Penalty of £50. What does this mean?
Employment and Support Allowance – am I in the right group?
If you get Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) and you’ve had a Work Capability Assessment you will be in either the ‘work related activity group’ or the ‘support group’ for that benefit. Does it matter what group you’re in and are you in the right group?
Personal Independence Payment – what’s the score?
Personal Independence Payment is a new benefit that will start to come in from 8 April 2013. It will be paid to people who are of ‘working age’, 16 to under 65, at the time of claim. It is hailed by the government as a replacement for Disability Living Allowance (DLA), which in their opinion is ‘outdated, inconsistent, with too many automatic awards and entitlements’. What is Personal Independence Payment, how will it work, when will it happen and how is it likely to affect visually impaired people?
The Work Capability Assessment – a matter of life and livelihood
The purpose of the Work Capability Assessment is to provide evidence for a decision as to whether people claiming Employment and Support Allowance have limited capability for work, and limited capability to do activities that may lead to getting back into work.
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?
Kevin works as a welfare rights officer at Action for Blind People in Lancashire.
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