Employment and support allowance

[mikeedwards]

Geraldine Strathdee of Oxleas has alerted some colleagues to the following Times article and the possible affect on service users of publicity about the new ESA benefit replacing IB and IS for people with disabilities:

Hi and my apologies if you have been sent this already but I wonder if the
PRG group might have a view on how to deal with this as I am sure many of
our SUs will get to hear of this and be distressed..do we need to support
staff with a Q and A response?

BW, Geraldine
Incapacity benefit claimants lose incentive to stay sick
Sam Coates Chief Political Correspondent

Incentives that encourage people to stay on incapacity benefit were
scrapped yesterday in the latest stage of the Government's welfare reform
package.
James Purnell, the Work and Pensions Secretary, sounded the death knell for the benefit when he published regulations to replace it with a new
work-focused employment and support allowance (ESA). In the Budget the Government announced that every one of the 2.6 million
claimants of incapacity benefit would be retested by a doctor. From April 2010 those who fail to show in a medical test that they are unfit
for work will be moved off benefit and forced to seek a job. The Government announced yesterday that it was scrapping incentives that
mean the amount of money a claimant gets goes up after six months and then again after one year, with no obligation to look for work or improve work prospects. Mr Purnell also said he was removing the "age addition" that gives more money to people who start their claim before they are 45. "Gone are the days when writing a sick note is writing people off for life," he said. "ESA will give more financial support to the poorest, most disabled people in society while extending the opportunity of employment to all those who can work. Today's measures are a key cultural shift in the benefit system which puts work at the heart of our support.
Source : Times 28.03.08[/b]
I'd be interested in what people think should be the fundamental message about the new benefit to send out to service users and staff.
Through the Horizon programme, we have been addressing this future benefit change by discussions in meetings and one to one chats that emphasise the fundamental message that "There is nothing to worry about in this new benefit. If you get a letter asking you to go for an interview, you should attend. You might even be offered some useful help in getting a job! Show the letter to ... [someone knowledgable about it] ...and perhaps ask them to accompany you, or talk to you after the interview. Don't ignore the letter!"
Holding group discussions to mull over the information and ask questions seems to be very helpful in embedding this basic message, and it has also been helpful to invite an informed staff of the Jobcentre to talk about the issues.
Steve is putting on the Develop website a useful short guide from the Disability Alliance that could be distributed to service users and staff, although discussions with an informed person are best, I think!