Employment and Support Allowance

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Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) will be a UK Government State Benefit to replace new claims for Incapacity Benefit and Income Support on the basis of incapacity for work for most claimants from October 2008.

The main change from the current benefit (Incapacity Benefit) is that the Personal Capability Assesment will be replaced with a new Work Capability Assessment (WCA), which the government claim will give a better view of the customers ability to undertake some form of work. ESA will be supplied through the current Jobcentre Plus system, however customer claiming Incapacity Benefit at the time of the introduction of ESA will remain on IB, but will be required to establish their incapacity for work by being assessed under the new WCA.

These links should give more details http://www.dwp.gov.uk/welfarereform/legislation_bill.asp http://www.dsdni.gov.uk/index/ssa/benefit_information/ssani-esa/ssani-esa-what-is.htm. Also the Disability Alliance http://www.disabilityalliance.org/ will produce a guide later this year.