Contribution based Esa or new style Esa

[metoo62]

They want to change this too. People not entitle to UC due to partners income or savings, when suddenly become ill and unable to earn, after SSP, etc, currently if enough contribution, they can claim new style Esa. While the low rate is time limited to one year, the higher rate has not time limit due to being unable to work in any jobs . The change they want to implement will also mean that people that have paid and contributed for years and years, due to not fault of their own, when unable to work in any jobs, will end without any income to be able to contribute to the household , they will have to use all their savings if they have any, and later depend exclusively of their partners income etc unless the household income is low enough to actually qualify for UC. The Pip issue is also a problem as some people will get 2 points in multiple areas and have complex needs. They will need supervision, support, equipment but still won't qualify for pip so they will have to depend on their family for those expenses too . So these cuts don't only affect the poor, those in UC or those in low income. Nobody can know what the future hold for anyone of us. Having a time limit for contribution based support for those that become totally unable to work is not supporting those that work. Cutting pip for those that need it to be able to work is not supporting those that work either. Labour is clearly also going for the middle classes and hard workers because nobody has a crystal ball to know what their future hold healthwise and anyone can become too ill or disabled to work. Someone could have work for 30 years, suddenly have an accident or stroke, and due to the time limit, they could end with not income of their own, depending in the partner or family for every single thing and unable to contribute to the household in any way.

Yes I'm surprised at this change. In my line of work I frequently see people on contributions based ESA who have been claiming for 10-15 years before reaching state retirement age. Now that will be time limited. Many will not qualify for UC as they've saved a bit for retirement or as you say partner earns too much. This is going to hit a lot of people. and save the government an awful lot of money when you think that support group ESA is around 6k a year and often claimed as I say for years on end by people who would not qualify for anything else except PIP maybe. Many people are claiming this because they've got ill in their fifties and sixties and state pension age is now 67. My dh continues working with a couple of serious health issues and when he is unable to work any longer would likely have claimed ESA but now will likely have to draw on his pension early when he can no longer work.

To add also, I just think that the situation with the country's finances is such that they are just having to go after all benefits, means tested, non means tested, contributory. Nothing is safe !

I suspect the higher pension age is likely to mean a lot of people are too sick to work until 67.

Tbh, this isn't that new. The goalposts for contributions based ESA were changed a dozen or so years ago, and claimants who'd previously passed assessments on a periodic basis were told that if their illness/disability didn't meet the new criteria, ie the Support Group category, they would only receive NI credits rather than cash benefits after 12 months. The removal of the payments, a so-called incentive to work, meant people with earning partners had to depend on them rather than maintain a small amount of independence. I have no doubt that there are plenty of people on this board who think that's just fine, but the earnings limit at the time was around £7,000 pa. I know that some of those people are no more able to work today than when they were in receipt of the benefit.

Yes this will affect me( in addition to the PIP changes) I first received invalidity benefit which became contributions based ESA( support group) in 2008 iirc
i have just started to realise that if I lose enhanced daily living PIP( my points are cumulative but 2/3s no 4) I will then not receive ESA
it’s disastrous

I meant to add I have moderate CP and bipolar disorder

I think we will need to wait for detail on this. they haven't really said what would happen to existing contributions based ESA claims. The support group/ LCWRA element being dependent on receiving PIP has only really been mentioned in relation to UC and you only need standard daily living to qualify for the health element of UC. I wouldn't go worrying that you'd lose your contributions based ESA yet although i can't imagine them keeping everyone that is already on it until state pension age which for some could be years away.