ESA and the work capability assessment in N Ireland.

Most people who are on benefit in N Ireland will be fully aware of all the changes and how they have been affected by them, but the other day at the doctors' office, I met an older man that I knew. He was 64 and had had his ESA cut by thirty pounds per week. This was due to the work capability assessment- part of the benefit that is administered by capita. Technically the only way to pass the work capability assessment part of the ESA is to be completely bed ridden in my view. However I did ask him why at 64 he was even on ESA instead of pension credit, and that pension credit would excuse him from a lot of these changes that are taking place. His answer was he didn't know and had not been given the right advice. Good advice is the key to understanding these changes and how to best go about minimising their effects upon you.

The best piece of advice any one can give you is to appeal any decision that has not been made in your favour and that doing this is much easier than you think.

For example if you are on ESA due to sickness, and find yourself in a position where you cannot work, or if you are being migrated from income capacity benefit on to ESA then you will find that you are going to be assessed. After the letters advising you of this come through the door, there will be phone calls to ascertain if you can get up stairs by your self or if you need assistance. If you need assistance then you will be asked to travel to Ballymena to the centre there which is on ground level and suitable for wheel chair users. Theres no point in saying you cannot get there,  you will  have to get there no matter what unless your doctor says that you cannot travel and excuses you. You will find most doctors won't do this unless you are bed ridden.

Once you get there you will be asked how you got there. Did you travel by bus, car or taxi. This is under the guise of paying back any monies you may have spent on travel to the centre, but is also used in the assessment of you. Basically if you can travel by bus or public transport from Belfast to Ballymena then they will say there isn't much wrong with you...depending upon what it is your illness is... For example if you say you are depressed and cannot leave the house but travel to t he assessment centre then it is most likely your benefit will be stopped. However, illness like that are more complicated than simply travelling to an assessment centre and your case should be put and argued.

Once you're called you will be asked a series of automated questions that are fired at you thick and fast, and are read off a computer screen by the health professional assessing you. Then you will be asked to perform some basic tests, such as can you pick up this pound coin from the floor or push the buttons on a telephone. Basically most will fail this test and either be put back on to JSA or end up in a WRAG group rather than a support group depending upon the seriousness of your condition.

When the decision comes out and if you feel that it does not accurately reflect your situation then you may appeal the decision. Changes taking place now will mean that  there will have to be a mandatory review which can in theory take up to one year before the decision they made can be looked at again.

Once you get to this stage you can appeal. How to go about this process will be looked at in another post later today.