Fw: New form threatens DLA & IB plus huge ESA u-turn

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New form threatens DLA & IB plus huge ESA u-turn

Dear Reader,

This month we have confirmation that the vast majority of incapacity benefit claimants will not, after all, be moved onto employment and support allowance - at least not before 2014 at the very earliest. In spite of this extraordinary u-turn claimants will still, however, have to pass the new work capability assessment (WCA).

On the subject of which, we can now take you through the questionnaire likely to be issued as part of the WCA. And, probably needless to say, it's not looking good. Indeed, it seems to be designed to frustrate both incapacity related claims and DLA claims.

We do have some good news though, in the form of feedback from members whose claims and appeals have been successful. This includes one member who says her income has gone up from £88 to £270 a week thanks to Benefits and Work.

And we also have news of another bizarre u-turn. The Unum Provident sponsored centre at Cardiff university, the one at the heart of the campaign to get sick and disabled people back into work, has a new complaint about sick people . . . they keep on going back to work when they're ill. Apparently Unum's Professor Mansel Aylward has discovered that 'presenteeism' is costing the country a fortune and it's about time it stopped. Confusing, isn't it?

And, of course, yet another 'radical' welfare reform bill was announced yesterday. So be prepared for another year of the main political parties elbowing each other out of the way in a bid to issue the vilest press attacks on the sick and disabled.

Roll on the summer recess.

Good luck,

Steve

Sick and disabled face more ‘radical reforms’www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/content/view/950/92/ Incapacity benefit claimants are to be the target of more ‘radical reforms’. Gordon Brown announced yesterday that, before employment and support allowance has even been introduced, the government is to begin consulting on yet another welfare reform bill to be published in the autumn.

From "a measly £88 to over £270" per weekwww.benefitsandwork.co.uk/content/view/945/92/ Good news and heartening feedback from Benefits and Work members.

Unum Provident condemns working whilst sickwww.benefitsandwork.co.uk/content/view/947/92/Professor Mansel Aylward condemns the widespread practice of working whilst sick

New DWP online 'benefits adviser'www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/content/view/937/92/The DWP have launched a new ‘online benefits adviser’. The service signposts visitors to any of 13 benefits to which they might be eligible.

MEMBERS ONLY ARTICLESwww.benefitsandwork.co.uk/content/category/1/52/115/

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New form threat to disability living allowance and incapacity benefitwww.benefitsandwork.co.uk/content/category/1/52/115/Claimants will be misled as to the law and prevented from giving detailed evidence about which points they should score by the forthcoming work capability assessment (WCA) questionnaire. In addition, answers relating to the mental health test may be used to look again at awards of disability living allowance.

Massive incapacity benefit u-turn: no move to ESA, no compulsory activities www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/content/category/1/52/115/Almost all 2.6 million current incapacity benefit claimants are being abandoned to ‘a culture of incapacity and despair’ in an astonishing government u-turn. Current claimants will still be forced to take the new, much harsher work capability assessment. But, even if they pass, they will remain on incapacity benefit rather than being moved onto the higher paying employment and support allowance. Nor will they take part in Pathways to Work with its programme of enforced interviews and action plans.

TRAINING

Introduction to Employment and Support Allowance Tuesday 7 October 2008 10am - 4.00pm Download a flyerwww.benefitsandwork.co.uk/images/image/flyers/esa_oct_08.pdf

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© 2008 Steve Donnison. All rights reserved.

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