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Improvement: more people now getting ESA than failing test

Simon

Senior Member
Messages
3,789
Location
Monmouth, UK
Not so exciting, but it looks like there has been some improvement in the way the Employment & Support allowance (mainly based on the deeply flawed Work Capability Assessment) is being applied. Instead of most new applicants failing this test, most now pass:

esarates.png


IT's hardly a cause for jubilation, but it does suggest that the campaigns to make this whole process less unfair have had some success. In late 2009 (pilot phase, I assume) 2/3 of people failed and only 1/3 passed. Now about 60% pass.

And about 25% of applicants are going into the 'Work Related Activity Group' (WRAG) which pays lower rates than the Support Group - and for those with assets/income, the WRAG is limited to 12 months (Incapacity Benefit, the predecessor benefit, was not limited in this way). However, an increasing proportion of those who do get benefit are now being put into the Support Group - this has gone up from aout 10% of applicants originally to about 35% now.

esagroups.png


More details: Record numbers found incapable of work and put in support group