In 2008, Employment Support Allowance replaced Incapacity Benefit and Income Support for new claimants.
From April 2011 the Government will also start to migrate 1.6 million people currently claiming Incapacity Benefit over to ESA, forcing them to undergo a flawed medical assessment process - the Work Capability Assessment. This will lead to around 20 per cent of people failing the assessment and losing entitlement to ESA.
Changes to qualification criteria
Regulations tabled in parliament by the government will, if passed, mean that from the end of March, it will no longer be possible for many blind and partially sighted people to qualify for Employment and Support Allowance (ESA).
What's the case now?
Currently most people who are blind or partially sighted are able to qualify for ESA after being assessed, but the regulations would change that.
The regulations remove all the current assessment criteria around sight loss that recognise why blind and partially sighted people have 'limited capability for work', and are therefore eligible for ESA.
The new assessment criteria in the regulations fail to recognise the barriers blind and partially sighted people face in relation to work, and could have dramatic consequences, forcing blind and partially sighted people on to Jobseekers Allowance.
This would mean a loss in income, and no longer getting immediate support to prepare for work.
Twelve month limits
One of the biggest shocks of the Government's Comprehensive Spending Review was the announcement that the contributory ESA benefit will be limited to twelve months for people on the 'work related activity group' (people who are judged able to move into work over time, with support).
The twelve month time limit takes no account of the often complex issues that disabled people need to address in preparing for and finding work.
Recommendations ignored
We have major concerns about the fairness and effectiveness of the Work Capability Assessment which will be used to decide who is eligible for ESA. Substantial recommendations for improving the assessment process were made during a recent independent review by Prof Malcolm Harrington, but these will take time to be implemented.
Until Prof Harrington's recommendations on the Assessment process are fully implemented by Government, the migration of Incapacity Benefit claimants should not begin.
Further information
We're as part of the Disability Charities Consortium on this campaign as these measures will affect millions of disabled people.
If you would like to know more about this campaign or would like a template letter in an alternative format please contact
campaigns@rnib.org.uk or call the campaigns team on 020 7391 2123.