7% of ESA claimants put in Support Group
1 November 2011
According to latest figures from the Department for Work and Pensions, the result of the initial Work Capability Assessment (WCA) for new Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) claims from 27 October 2008 to 28 February 2011 was:
- support group 7%
- work related activity group 17%
- fit for work 38%
- claim closed before assessment complete 36%
- assessment still in progress 2%
Action for M.E.'s Welfare Rights Adviser, Sarah Lawrence, comments:
"These statistics do not reflect what is happening to people being migrated from Incapacity Benefit and Income Support. We are talking to many people on our helpline who are being migrated and are being placed in the Work Related Activity Group. Many are appealing as they think they should be in the Support Group."
The benefits information publisher, Benefits and Work says, "The effects of the changes to the WCA made in March of this year are only just beginning to feed in, so future quarters may begin to look grimmer."
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