Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) is a UK Government State Benefit which replaced new claims for Incapacity Benefit (IB) and Income Support (IS) on the basis of incapacity for work for most claimants from 27 October 2008. Originally, claimants already receiving Incapacity Benefit, Income Support paid because of an illness or disability or Severe Disablement Allowance (SDA) continued to receive those benefits as long as they remained eligible. However, the government announced in 2010 that these claimants would all be migrated to ESA between Spring 2011 and 2014.
ESA can be either contributory or income-related. If claimants satisfy national insurance conditions they can claim contributory ESA for up to one year (if they get the work-related activity component) or indefinitely (if they get the support component). Income-related ESA is subject to a means test and certain other conditions. If they meet both sets of conditions, they can get contributory ESA topped up with income-related ESA.
The main change from Incapacity Benefit is that the old Personal Capability Assessment (PCA) has been replaced with a Work Capability Assessment (WCA), which the government claim will give a better view of the claimant's ability to undertake some form of work. The Department for Work and Pensions has contracted Atos Healthcare, a healthcare company part of the global Atos Origin company to undertake medical assessments. There are a number of medical conditions for which a medical assessment is not required and others where the medical advisor has to ask the patient's GP or consultants for information.
Read more about Employment And Support Allowance: Eligibility, ESA Initial Information Assessment, Work Capability Assessment (face To Face), The Allowances, Controversy
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