Incapacity benefit

Those who receive Incapacity Benefit, Severe Disablement Allowance and Income Support paid on the grounds of illness or disability will be assessed for Employment and Support Allowance. This has been taking place since October 2010 and will continue until spring 2014. As such you may have already been contacted or if you have not will be within the coming 18 months.

When contacted you will have to fill out a questionnaire, and are likely to be called for a medical assessment. In most cases ESA awards which are based on National Insurance contributions will last for one year, although there will be exceptions to this rule.

Tenants who receive these benefits will be reviewed to see if they are eligible for Employment and Support Allowance.

  • People who are deemed capable of work will move onto Jobseeker’s Allowance where they satisfy the conditions of entitlement for that benefit.
  • People who are deemed to need more support while they prepare for work will get that help on Employment and Support Allowance (ESA).
  • Those people who are most disabled or terminally ill will not be expected to look for work and will get the extra support they need on ESA.

The change will not affect:

people who are already being paid Employment and Support Allowance
people who reach state pension age before 6 April 2014.
To find out more about these changes, follow this link.