Action Blog
Viewing entries tagged with 'benefits'
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.
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.
The waiting game
So, here I am, still waiting . There has been movement but not very quickly.
Waiting for the call
So, here I am, waiting. They could ring today, or they could ring in March, or any time in between. I suppose they will call me sooner rather than later as my name begins with an ‘A’ and they are doing it alphabetically.
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?
Who says rules are rules?
Isn’t it annoying when a petty official says, ‘Well I’m sorry. Rules are rules, so that’s it!’? - Is it? Should I thus go forth and multiply as implied?
Give Carers the Credit
Anyone who has had to provide care to another person knows how demanding on time and emotions this is can be. Until now only some carers have been able to get a National Insurance credit paid whilst caring. From 6 April 2010 a new 'Carer's Credit' will be available. This is not a benefit it is a National Insurance contribution (what we used to call 'a stamp'). Read on to find out more.
Fruity Job Dreamboat Pie
People with sight loss hoping to get back into work after a spell on benefits often turn to Action for Blind People for help. Most fear that their benefits would be cut if they tried working. This need not be the case, so what’s the recipe?
Tag cloud
accessibility, apple, assistive technology, beauty, benefits, big society, burnley, carers, christmas, coping, digital inclusion, disability, disclosing disability, discrimination, dla, dwp, employment, esa, family, fashion, grieving, happiness, holidays, human rights, ignorance, inclusive design, inclusivity, independence, iphone, life, living with sight loss, love, pension, people, registration, respect, rp, sailing, shopping, sight loss, social inclusion, stereotypes, style, technology, travel, vi people, web accessibility, welfare rights, white cane, work capability assessment,
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