As members will know, as from 27 October, Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) will replace Incapacity Benefit for new claimants.

If anyone's interested in seeing what an ESA claim form looks like, it's HERE A mere 52 pages !!!

hi jim

had a quick scout through seems much more complex than 1b forms, they want to know the ins and outs of a cats ar**.

pug

They certainly seem more interested in what money you have than what your disability is, typical DWP!

The way I'm reading the application form, if you don't qualify for Contributions Based ESA and if you have savings over £16,000 you won't be able to claim Income Based ESA either, in theory you could end up with no benefit money at all. Does being on Incapacity Benefit entitle you to Contribution Based ESA ?

Hi sfros

In my opinion it should. Current recipients of IB also receive a class 1 National Insurance credit, which will count towards contribution based ESA.

There's probably something in the Transitional Protection regulations which I'm not well enough to read and digest at present.

In any event, current IB claimants won't start to be migrated from IB to ESA until 2010, and will take until 2013 to complete according to the DWP.

Before then, there'll be a General Election, so anything could happen !!!!!!!!!!!!

Jim