Incapacity benefits
reassessment
Rosie Wilson
www.newcastle.gov.uk/welfarerights
Incapacity benefits reassessment
summary
• Current incapacity benefits abolished by 2014
• Most getting these benefits to be reassessed under
the Employment and Support Allowance test
• Started from 28 February 2011(limited numbers till
May)
• People reaching pension age by March 2014 not
affected
• “Linked” claims for incapacity benefits abolished
from 31 January 2011
• No PCAs after March 31
www.newcastle.gov.uk/welfarerights
Timetable
• Started from 28 February 2011. 1000 a week
nationally till April
• 7000 a week from beginning of April
• 11,000 a week from beginning of May
www.newcastle.gov.uk/welfarerights
Order of reassessment
• People getting Incapacity Benefit, Income
Support or both
• People getting SDA or SDA with Income
Support
• Credits only claimants after March 2014
www.newcastle.gov.uk/welfarerights
The process
• JC+ send letter to claimant telling them about
reassessment, at the time they are due to
reassessed for old benefit (?)
• JC+ contact centre phones claimant to ask if need
additional support
• Most claimants (probably) asked to complete ESA50
form
• Most claimants (probably) asked to attend medical
• Decision made by JC+ decision maker
www.newcastle.gov.uk/welfarerights
Process (continued)
• JC+ decision maker phones claimant to tell them
about decision
• Claimant gets decision notice (letter)
• Possible outcomes:
• Qualify for ESA and transfer 2 to 4 weeks after date of
decision with transitional addition if ESA less than old
benefit
• Do not qualify for ESA and sign on for Jobseekers
Allowance or claim another benefit
• Do not qualify for ESA and appeal
• “Move off” benefit
www.newcastle.gov.uk/welfarerights
7
Internal
Customer Touchpoints – Overview
08/09/10
Pre-journey prepatory touchpoints
Version: 4.0
Someone calls
me to give
further
information and
advice, find out
if I need extra
help with the
process
I become
aware about
forthcoming
changes to my
benefits
2
4
3
Someone
calls me to
arrange a
Work
Capability
Assessment
appointment
5
1
I receive a letter
informing me that
changes are about
to commence and
advising me on
the next steps
I receive a
medical
questionnaire
to fill out
ESA
ESA 50
50
Face
to
Face
Cases with Child Dependency Addition begin migration to
Child Tax Credit at Touchpoint 3
Someone calls
to gather any
missing
information
and explain the
next steps (this
TP only applies to
customers with
missing
information)
Someone calls
to advise on
Employment
Support
Allowance
(ESA)
entitlement and
next steps in the
ESA regime
8
9
~suspended for 2
years from
19/07/2010
6
The Jobcentre
contacts me to
arrange a Work
Focused
interview
£
I receive a letter with
my Jobseeker’s
Allowance
(JSA)award
17 notification
£
14
Someone calls to
inform me of the
entitlement decision
and advises me of
my options. If I wish
to claim Jobseeker’s
Allowance I am
transferred to
someone who takes
my claim details
11
Support Group
13
I attend the
Work
Capability
Assessment
with the Atos
Health Care
Service
12
10
I receive a letter
with my
Employment
Support Allowance
award notification
7
I attend
the Work
Focused
Interview
Atos Health Care call
me to arrange &
conduct a Work
Focused Health Related
Assessment
(WFHRA)
I receive a
letter informing
me of benefit
disallowance
and the Work
Capability
Assessment
outcome
For disallowed cases entitlement to Income Support on
grounds other than incapacity is checked prior to Touchpoint
13
GENERAL ENQUIRIES/HELP/SUPPORT
15
I write a
letter / call
to appeal*
/
*if customer calls they
will be told appeal
needs to be in writing
16
Someone calls
to confirm
information for
reconsideration^
Assessment process overview
• ESA50
• Not if terminally ill and submit DS1500
• Or enough other evidence
• Must complete and return within 6 weeks or
treated as fit for work
• Medical
• Not if terminally ill or enough evidence to show
unfit for work and work related activity
• Decision
www.newcastle.gov.uk/welfarerights
Transitional additions
• If ESA is less than claimant’s old benefit is
made up to the same amount with a
transitional addition
• This amount then frozen until normal ESA
rates catch up
• TAs reduce in certain circumstances:
 For example, no longer entitled to dependant’s addition
• TAs not paid pending appeal
www.newcastle.gov.uk/welfarerights
Issues - locally
• High percentage claiming incapacity
benefits/ESA
• Over 80 reassessments a week
• More than 6,000 expected to fail the WCA
• 3,600 likely to “move off benefit”
• Newcastle Medical Examination Centre has
highest WCA failure rate in the country
www.newcastle.gov.uk/welfarerights
Issues - generally
• Increase in demand
• “Revolving door” problem of frequent
reassessments
• Quality of assessments
• Reassessments and appeals
www.newcastle.gov.uk/welfarerights
Issues - generally
• Potential drop in income
• 12 month limit for contribution based ESA for
those in work related activity group, and
abolition of youth rules
• Work related activity requirement and
sanctions
• ESA and the Work Programme
www.newcastle.gov.uk/welfarerights
What we are doing so far
• Briefed over 100 professionals about the
reassessments
• One day training course on ESA and mental
health
• From November 2010 introduced:
• Triage system for referrals and telephone
enquiries from professionals
• Dedicated tribunal unit
www.newcastle.gov.uk/welfarerights
What we are doing so far
• Website
• More involvement with corporate
appointeeships
• Factsheets:
• ESA – basic explanation
• Incapacity benefits reassessment
• Completing the ESA50 (work in progress…)
• The briefing paper
www.newcastle.gov.uk/welfarerights