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Could you clarify who might the WCA changes affect ?
I know it will have to be passed and may never come in but still I and many claimants will be worried.
It is not clear …Are the intended WCA changes for Universal Credit or income - related ESA claimants only or could it affect Contributions ESA Support Group ? I am the later claimant who also is in receipt of PIP .
Most reports I have read ,the idea is to lower the UC LCWRA spending .
Many Thanks

Hi autistic-gremlin

Applying twice for ESA does not count against you, but you do have to meet the criteria.

There are two Contribution Conditions that you need to meet for a new claim for New Style ESA.

Both are based on the two Tax Years preceding the current Benefit year, for 2023 they are 2020-21 and 2021-22.

The Second Condition requires a minimum of 50 weeks of either NI Contributions and/or NI Credits, your current Credits Only award potentially covers this.

The First however requires a minimum of 26 weeks of NI Contributions in either of the two years, your current claim does not provide these, Contributions can only be acquired through paid employment, there are some exceptions but you don't mention any of these in your post.

www.gov.uk/how-to-claim-new-style-esa

Gary

Hi Sue,

I agree with that also - there's so many bad un's that's ruining it for the genuine ones, and I think it makes the genuine ones feel like they're begging, and aren't worthy of being given UC.

Regards, Chris.

I found this i had from early 2012 it was from 2011 long but anyway ----


April 2011

Briefing note: Work Programme in Greater Manchester


1. Summary
Three organisations have been selected by DWP to become preferred bidders for delivering the Work Programme in Greater Manchester and Cheshire. The successful bidders are Avanta, G4S and Seetec. Programme delivery is expected to begin within the next 3 months.
Based on DWP estimates, it is anticipated that the Work Programme will provide employment support to at least 170,000 long-term claimants of Jobseekers’ Allowance (JSA), Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), Incapacity Benefit (IB) and Income Support in Greater Manchester over its initial five year lifetime.
DWP expect that a third of the Work Programme customer group will be either recent or current claimants of health-related benefits, such as ESA or IB.
Contractors will be primarily paid by results – a share of the benefits savings that accrue when a customer enters and remains in employment. Eight different payment groups have been identified, with greater rewards available to prime contractors for supporting customers with more complex needs into sustained employment.
A ‘Black Box’ model of commissioning has been adopted by Government, providing minimal guidance to the prime contractors but enabling them maximum flexibility in designing their Work Programme plans.
Given a significant shared client group, there remain major opportunities for public and voluntary sector organisations to align, co-locate, co-case management and co-commission relevant support services with Work Programme prime contractors, helping ensure the best possible employment support service to Work Programme customers in Greater Manchester.

2. Background
The Work Programme forms a centrepiece of the Coalition government’s plans to reform welfare to work in the UK. While related reforms of benefits are being designed to increase incentives to work, changes to employment services (including the Work Programme) are planned to provide better quality support to enable more people to enter and remain in work.

The current overhaul of welfare-to-work provision is rooted in the report prepared for the Labour Government in 2007 by Lord David Freud. Now Minister for Welfare Reform in the Coalition Government, Freud’s report proposed a major shake-up of the welfare system, rooted in:

A financial model that uses monies set aside for future benefits payments to fund welfare-to-work activity
Transferring responsibility for delivering welfare to work activities to private or voluntary sector contractors, with bigger and longer contracts
Structuring contracts with welfare to work providers so that payments reflect success in getting people into sustained employment (ie. payment by outcomes)
Benefit payments that are conditional on an individual's willingness to work if they are able to do so

Each of these key principles is now reflected in the Work Programme.

3. Who will enter the Work Programme?
Annex A sets out Work Programme customer eligibility. A total of eight groups have been defined by DWP, with different referral points and terms of entry (ie mandatory participant or voluntary) dependent upon an individual’s benefit status and health prognosis. Referrals to the Work Programme will be made by Jobcentre Plus.

The vast majority of Jobseekers’ Allowance (JSA) claimants who enter the Work Programme will do so on a mandatory basis – ie. Sanctions will be applied if they fail to engage with work related activities via the Work Programme.

All Employment and Support Allowance claimants will be able to enter the Work Programme, with a modest number likely to enter on a mandatory basis. ESA claimants mandated to participate in work focused activity must meet four criteria, namely:

They are placed within the ESA Work Related Activity Group (WRAG) (i.e. assessed as able to enter paid employment in future, with the appropriate support), and
They have been assessed by the Work Capability Assessment as being within three months of becoming fit for work, and
They do not have a youngest child under five or be a full time carer, and
They are claiming income-based ESA: i.e. have insufficient NI contributions and savings of less than £16,000, or a partner working under 24 hours/week

Those not assessed as being within three months of being fit for work may volunteer to enter the Work Programme. This includes those claiming contributory ESA, which the Welfare Reform Bill confirmed will be payable for a maximum of 12 months for claimants in the ESA Work Related Activity Group.

Simultaneously, DWP is beginning the medical reassessment (Work Capability Assessment) of all Incapacity Benefit claimants in Greater Manchester. Running from April 2011 for a three year period, around 120,000 GM residents will be reassessed by DWP-appointed medics. Data from a pilot site in Burnley found that of those reassessed:

30% were declared ‘fit for work’ and transferred to Jobseekers’ Allowance (JSA)
40% were moved into the ESA Work Related Activity Group (WRAG) and required to participate in work-focused activity intended to help them get fit for work.
30% had health issues that meant that work is not a realistic prospect. This group was transferred onto ESA at an enhanced rate.

Those declared ‘fit for work’ and moved onto JSA will see a reduction in their benefit of around £30/week, as JSA is payable at a lower rate than IB or ESA. However this group will be eligible for early entry to the Work Programme at the discretion of Jobcentre Plus if they have not found work after 3 months on JSA. Those in the ESA WRAG are eligible to enter the Work Programme on a mandatory or voluntary basis, depending on their benefits status and health prognosis (see above).

4. How will the Work Programme be delivered?

Three preferred prime contractors have been announced by DWP to deliver the Work Programme for an initial five year period. They are:

Avanta ( HYPERLINK "www.avanta.uk.com" www.avanta.uk.com)
G4S ( HYPERLINK "www.g4swelfaretowork.com" www.g4swelfaretowork.com)
Seetec ( HYPERLINK "www.seetec.co.uk" www.seetec.co.uk)

Both Avanta and Seetec have delivered employment support services for DWP in Greater Manchester previously. G4S is a new market entrant. None of the appointed prime contractors have previously worked on a contract of this scale with clients with this level of need.

DWP have been clear that they will allow prime contractors maximum flexibility in developing interventions. Unlike previous DWP-commissioned programmes, there is very little guidance on what should/should not be delivered – so it is up to the prime contractor, working with local partners, to design and deliver activity that supports Work Programme customers into sustained jobs.

With payments to providers by DWP overwhelmingly geared towards sustained employment outcomes (up to 80% of the available funding will be payable in incremental instalments when an individual remains in work, for up to two years), there is a very strong incentive for the prime contractors to develop and deliver successful Work Programme activities.

Furthermore, DWP have put challenging minimum contract performance standards in place, below which prime contractors will be subject to a performance review.

More information about the plans of each prime contractor can be found via their web sites (addresses above).



5. Role for Greater Manchester partners

AGMA and its partners have no statutory role in commissioning or delivering the Work Programme. However local authorities and their partners have an important role to play in helping to ensure that the Work Programme provides the best possible support to local people, enabling the maximum number of residents to move from long-term worklessness and into sustained jobs.

Already, partners including health commissioners and providers have been active in helping prospective prime contractors to shape their Work Programme bids to better fit the needs of GM residents. This has included sharing information with the prospective prime contractors on:

What has/has not worked in relation to the Work Programme client group in the past
Specific local priorities and intelligence that can shape the development of provision under the Work Programme
Details of successful local services that
can be stopped, as the Work Programme will provide that service
can be aligned for free
can be co-located, or co-case managed
can be co-commissioned
or potentially ‘sold’ to preferred providers within the framework.

Events held in early December 2010 provided a forum for a wide range of GM partners to foster dialogue with the prospective Work Programme prime contractors. This enabled local authorities, working with the NHS and a range of other partners on behalf of their LSPs, to devise a clear ‘ask’ and ‘offer’ of the prospective prime contractors – i.e. setting out their borough’s priorities in relation to the Work Programme, but also sharing information about the kind of services and information that could be linked to the Work Programme in return.

6. Next steps

DWP and Jobcentre Plus will shortly start post-tender discussions with the prime contractors to agree the detail of how the contracts will operate. Meanwhile, further dialogue can soon begin between local partners and the prime contractors to help fine-tune Work Programme implementation. This can include:

Sharing local information – such as labour market data, links to employment growth opportunities, skills shortages, deprived neighbourhoods etc.
Confirming arrangements for aligning, co-locating, co-case managing and/or co-commissioning services with the Work Programme contractors in services including childcare, housing, skills, health, and advice services. This could include linking to/pooling budgets, something DWP are keen to encourage.
Working with the prime contractors to help identify potential gaps in Work Programme provision – both in terms of specialist support (e.g. advice, housing, health, skills, childcare etc) and geographical (priority neighbourhoods, remote areas etc)
Working on an ongoing basis with the prime contractors to improve performance – understanding and scrutinising performance data, identifying solutions to barriers/challenges that the Work Programme customers and their providers face

For health partners, opportunities include:

Capitalising on the fortnightly engagement that Work Programme contractors will have with some of the hardest-to-reach groups in society. Can this be used as an a route for health services to reach priority target groups?
Establishing referral mechanisms between Work Programme contractors and health services – how can the two services best link to provide the most efficient, timely and effective package of support to individuals with health conditions who are seeking employment?
Co-location with Work Programme providers, enabling better geographical service penetration and sharing premises costs.
Co-commissioning or sub-contracting health services with prime contractors. Identifying how existing local services can be aligned or expanded with the Work Programme for example building capacity of health services such as mental health and drugs & alcohol treatments which many of the work programme clients may need this type of intervention.

Over the coming weeks the selected prime contractors will work to confirm their partnership and supply chain arrangements. We expect further evolution of Work Programme models and supply chains to take place post-implementation, as prime contractors and their partners learn more about the needs of the client group.

In the meantime, local authorities and their partners are recommended to reconfirm the content of their ‘asks’ and ‘offers’ to the prime contractors in light of funding changes that have been implemented locally since late 2010.

More information about how local authorities and their partners are engaging with the prime contractors is available from the following colleagues, who have been leading Work Programme engagement within each of the ten Greater Manchester boroughs:

Bolton: Andy Walker 01204 336230 HYPERLINK "This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it." This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Bury: Tracey Flynn 0161 253 6040 HYPERLINK "This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it." This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Manchester: Angela Harrington 0161 234 1501 HYPERLINK "This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it." This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Oldham: Jonathan Phillips 0161 770 5194 HYPERLINK "This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it." This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Rochdale: Helen Chicot 01706 925925 HYPERLINK "This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it." This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Salford: Emily Edwards 0161 793 2534 HYPERLINK "This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it." This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Stockport: Nick Hill 0161 474 3736 HYPERLINK "This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it." This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Tameside: Kate O’Donnell 0161 342 2174 HYPERLINK "This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it." This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Trafford: Debbie Thompson 0161 912 4085 HYPERLINK "This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it." This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Wigan: Kevin Walsh 01942 828954 HYPERLINK "This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it." This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.


For detailed information about the Work Programme, please contact:

Gemma Marsh, Health and Worklessness Manager, New Economy, 0161 237 4061
HYPERLINK "This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it." This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

James Farr, Acting Head of Employment, New Economy: 0161 237 4411
HYPERLINK "This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it." This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.



Annex A: Work Programme customer groups
Payment Group Customer Group Time of Referral Basis for referral Greater Manchester residents, 2011-16 (estimate)** 1 Jobseekers Allowance customers aged 18 to 24 From 9 months of JSA claim Mandatory 27,000 2 Jobseekers Allowance customers aged 25 and over From 12 months of JSA claim Mandatory 75,000 3 Jobseeker Allowance - Early Access e.g.
aged 18 who have been NEET for 6 months (m)
those returning to JSA who were previously long-term JSA claimants (m)
ex-offenders, care leavers, carers, homeless (v) From 3 months of JSA claim (at discretion of JCP adviser) Mandatory (m) or voluntary (v) depending on circumstance 12,000 4 Jobseekers Allowance customers who have recently moved from Incapacity Benefit From 3 months of JSA claim Mandatory or voluntary depending on circumstance 6000 5 All Employment Support Allowance customers including contribution based, work related activity unlikely to be fit for work in the short term and support group customers. At any time Voluntary 17,000 6 Employment Support Allowance flow (income related) customers who are placed in the Work Related Activity Group, and Support Group At any time

When customers are expected to be fit for work in 3 months Voluntary

Mandatory 15,000 7 Ex-IB Employment Support Allowance (income related) customers who are placed in the Work Related Activity Group and Support Group (who have recently moved from Incapacity Benefit) At any time
When customers are expected to be fit for work in 3 months Mandatory or voluntary depending on circumstance 15,000 8 Incapacity Benefit / Income Support recipients At any time Voluntary 3500
** Estimates derived from DWP indicative volumes – not yet adjusted to reflect downgraded OBR growth forecast or regional variation Microsoft Office Word 97-2003 Document
MSWordDoc Word.Document.8 ô9²q

Hi Melanie

Welcome to the forum.

You might want to have a look at the following FAQ which explains where everything is; www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/guides-for-claimants/faq/forum.

You maybe able to apply for New Style ESA; www.gov.uk/guidance/new-style-employment-and-support-allowance

You will not be able to claim legacy ESA, as it is no longer available for new claimants.

New Style ESA is a Contribution Based benefit and is not means tested with the exception of pension income which can reduce the amount that you receive.

There are two Contribution Conditions that you need to meet for a new claim for New Style ESA.

Both are based on the two Tax Years preceding the current Benefit year, for 2023 they are 2020-21 and 2021-22.

The Second Condition requires a minimum of 50 weeks of either NI Contributions and/or NI Credits, your current Credits Only award potentially covers this.

The First however requires a minimum of 26 weeks of NI Contributions in either of the two years, your current claim does not provide these, Contributions can only be acquired through paid employment, there are some exceptions but you don't mention any of these in your post.

I would advise you to seek help from your local Welfare Rights Organisation; advicelocal.uk

Gary

Hi LovelyBitOfSquirrel

Sorry to hear of your loss and what you are going through.

I have read your post a few times and I am still a bit puzzled.

Let me go back to basics; IR ESA is not based on contributions, IR ESA is means tested, if your total savings including your inheritance is over £16k, then your claim will cease.

You may have been claiming both IR ESA and CB ESA, if you were then your IR ESA would have been affected but your CB ESA should have stayed in payment.

I would advise you to contact your local Welfare Rights Organisation for advice, gather up any letter you have with regards to your claim which will help in sorting out your situation, the agency will also need to know what savings you have over the period in question; advicelocal.uk

Don't loose heart, it can be sorted but may take a bit of time.

Gary

Hi Polly P

I answered your question in your previous post; www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/kunena/10-dla-...ons-new-style#283533

New Style ESA is a Contribution Based benefit and is not means tested with the exception of pension income which can reduce the amount that you receive.

There are two Contribution Conditions that you need to meet for a new claim for New Style ESA.

Both are based on the two Tax Years preceding the current Benefit year, for 2023 they are 2020-21 and 2021-22.

The Second Condition requires a minimum of 50 weeks of either NI Contributions and/or NI Credits, your current Credits Only award potentially covers this.

The First however requires a minimum of 26 weeks of NI Contributions in either of the two years, your current claim does not provide these, Contributions can only be acquired through paid employment, there are some exceptions but you don't mention any of these in your post.

Gary

Hi Polly P

Welcome to the forum.

You might want to have a look at the following FAQ which explains where everything is; www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/guides-for-claimants/faq/forum

Your post is a bit confusing as you say that you passed LCW last year but did not get any UC due to your husbands income,

My first question to ask you is, did you not apply for NS ESA? this would be based on your NI contributions and not on your husbands income.

My second question to ask you, did you work last year?

You do need to see your local Welfare Rights Organisation who will be able to take all your circumstances into consideration to give you an accurate answer to your question; advicelocal.uk

Gary

Hello I have applied for contributions based Esa . Have to take id into job centre tomorrow I called NI line and asked if I had enough credits to be entitled to pension for the last 2 years the 20/21 and 21/22 but she did not know if I met it for contributions based Esa and wished me good luck ?

I am registered for uc but don’t get any as hubby wages too high. Will I not get any contributions based Esa will it just go into the uc account ..
Sorry if I’m not making sense I’m bamboozled by this system
And struggling mentally

Hello I’ve applied for new style contribution based Esa , I called NI department they said 20-21 21-22 ( these are the years the lady from the dole said I need to of met to get t the benefit ) I’ve paid enough to meet requirements for pensions she did not know if that was enough for benefits or not .

I passed limited capabilities for work for UC 12 months ago but don’t receive any uc as husbands wages too high .

Will I be able to get any Esa or does it go off universal credit

And does paying enough national insurance for pension purpose mean I’ve paid enough for new style Esa .

I apologise if I’m not making much sense I’ve bipolar and autism and totally at a loss with what I should be doing benefits wise .

Sorry

I have to go to job centre to take ID on Friday to process my claim and I’d rather not if I’m not entitled to it hence asking here . As struggling leaving house mentally at the moment

Thank you

Hello,

I have been very sick over the past year and have stopped all of my jobs and responsibilities due to my health. My employer can longer pay me sick pay. So they said they would give me an SSP form to take to the job centre.

I have the full-year NI contributions over the past 10 years.

This is my first time applying for any kind of benefit, so I am a bit of a "nube".

My question is, what benefit should I go about applying for first? ESA, JSA, or UC? Is there a specific order to be entitled? Should I apply for all of them?

I am hesitant to apply for UC first because I have not moved out of my current accommodation (living with the father of my children but we are separated and I am single) (See previous post for more info on this if curious). I am still going to apply for UC but I'd imagine it'll be a bit of a battle.

Any guidance would be much appreciated.

Warmest regards,
BH

Hello,

I have been very sick over the past year and have stopped all of my jobs and responsibilities due to my health. My employer can longer pay me sick pay. So they said they would give me an SSP form to take to the job centre.

I have the full-year NI contributions over the past 10 years.

This is my first time applying for any kind of benefit, so I am a bit of a "nube".

My question is, what benefit should I go about applying for first? ESA, JSA, or UC? Is there a specific order to be entitled? Should I apply for all of them?

I am hesitant to apply for UC first because I have not moved out of my current accommodation (living with the father of my children but we are separated and I am single) (See previous post for more info on this if curious). I am still going to apply for UC but I'd imagine it'll be a bit of a battle.

Any guidance would be much appreciated.

Warmest regards,
BH

I'm supporting my wife in her application for ESA. She has not been able to work since 2001 due to her poor health - she has been in receipt of the higher elements of PIP/DLA since this time.

We were looking at her state pension recently and the gaps there (we had children allowing her to claim NI credits up to 2017) - we noticed that under a section 'Ill Disabled' it states 'You’re not on Employment and Support Allowance but you satisfy the conditions for it...' and it instructs you to apply for 'new style' ESA - which we did using the excellent guides here.

She had a medical interview by telephone about 10 weeks ago and has now had a letter from the DWP with the title 'A Change in the ESA Rate Payable'... the letter says she cannot have ESA and she paid no NI contributions in 2021 and 2022.

There is zero reference to her medical - have we misunderstood something here does anyone know? MTIA.

C

It depends on your income.

There are two thresholds for paying/receiving NI Contributions.

- The Primary threshold: £184 per week or £797 per month, you pay Class 1 NI Contributions based on your income

- Lower earnings limit: £120 per week or £520 per month, you receive Class 1 NI Credits.

Below the Lower limit, you receive nothing in regard to National Insurance.

However, from your post, this appears to be moot as you do not meet the Second Contribution Condition which requires 50 weeks of Class 1 NI Contributions and/or Credits in each of the Tax Years.

You can still apply for New Style ESA, if an award is made you will receive Class 1 Credits that count towards a full State Pension but I'm afraid you won't receive payment for the ESA.

Gordon

Thank you for your reply. I wondered what action you think I should take?
In April 2020-21 . I was off sick but entitled to sick pay from my employer. My record says I paid around £1300 in NI contributions - NI credits 44 weeks.
April 2021-2022 I lost my job and didn’t work at all but received a settlement for leaving my job. It says paid employment £422 - NI credits 39 weeks which I don’t understand as I didn’t work at all so no sure why NI credits are less.
April 2022- 2023 worked two months no record recorded as yet.

What I find confusing is when I worked 52 weeks part time and paid a small amount of NI is that that would be classed as a full year, but off sick and paying significantly more NI full time counts for nothing.

When someone is employed but off sick and NI is paid out of salary for the majority of the year is this classed as me paying NI or having help in terms of qualifying rules? Thank you

C

For a New Style ESA claim made today, the DWP will use the two Tax Years 2020-21 and 2021-2022

To qualify for NS ESA you will need;

- At least 26 weeks of Class 1 or 2 NI Contributions in one of the Tax Years, these are only available through paid employment, and

- A minimum of 50 weeks of Class 1 or 2 NI Contribution and/or Class 1 NI Credits in both of the Yax Years

UC pays Class 3 Credits, which count towards the State Pension but not for NS ESA.

Gordon

Hi there,
I am on esa Contributions based (13) years and in a support group too. I have MS and naturally it's deteriated over the years now. I was wanting to go on holiday and visit family in US in Florida in Nov in Nov this year. My immediate family will be there with me too. I depend on them daily.
Can I ask if that's OK to do? I'm aware of the 28 days rule but I don't want this to trigger a reassessment
That would terrify me.
What is expected of me? What do i have to fo?

Many thanks

K

Thank you Gordon, that is good to know.

Can I ask you another question please:-

If I have a full year of ni credits from my "ns esa credits only claim " -

1) are these credits class 1 or class 3?

2) if i applied for cb new style esa in the future, would this 1 x full year of ni credits count for the 2nd contribution condition as one of the years, or not?

"2nd contribution condition - in both of the last two complete tax years, you must have paid or been credited with, Class 1 or 2 contributions to the value of 50 times the lower earnings limit."

Thank you.

Olive

You need to have been entitled to Carers Allowance in either of the two Tax Years preceding, currently 2020-21 and 2021-22

AND

Have received a minimum of 26 weeks of NI Contributions through employment or self-employment in any Tax Year preceding the current Benefit Date.

Gordon

Hi,

Can I ask about the following ESA contribution condition:-

there are situations where the first contribution condition can be relaxed for certain groups of ESA claimants meaning that these specific groups can use National Insurance contributions paid in any tax year to satisfy the first contribution condition. This could apply to you if: you were entitled to Carer's Allowance in the last complete tax year immediately before the benefit year in which your Limited Capability for Work began

Does this mean you would have had to have claimed carer's allowance for the full 52 weeks of that year? Or if you'd claimed only 26 weeks would that be enough?

thanks