Impact of welfare reform on people with disabilities

ADASS

November 27th 2015

Gary Vaux, Hertfordshire County Council

What are the major benefit changes?

• Under-occupation penalty (“bedroom tax”)• Benefit Cap (£25k a year….and reducing)• Changes to tax credits (thresholds and taper

rate in 2016; 2-child limit in 2017)• Loss of Community Care Grants and Crisis

Loans• Many benefits frozen for 4 years• Delays, changes and restrictions in disability

benefits – PIP replacing DLA• Sanctions for JSA, ESA and UC claimants• Waiting Days • Exclusion from financial services and digital

access• …..and Universal Credit almost here

Employment and Support Allowance• Who gets

it?• How do you

get it?• What are

the problems?

EMPLOYMENT AND SUPPORT ALLOWANCE (ESA)For people aged 16 to pension age who aren’t fully fit

for work“Work Capability Assessment” often incorrect (despite

new assessors)Can be paid to students – which sometimes creates a

‘better-off’ problem for some families Can do some part-time ‘Permitted Work’ and still get

ESAIncreasing use of sanctionsApril 2017 – end of ‘work-related activity’ group; lower

rate of benefit (£30 a week less)?

PERSONAL INDEPENDENCE PAYMENT (DAILY

LIVING)

Who gets it?How do you get it?What are the problems?

PERSONAL INDEPENDENCE PAYMENT (MOBILITY)

Who gets it?How do you get it?What are the problems?

PERSONAL INDEPENDENCE PAYMENT (DAILY LIVING and MOBILITY)

Replaces disability living allowance (DLA) for everyone aged 16 or more

Now being rolled-out nationally Not the same as ESA – different test but still

based on scoring pointsCan be paid if working or studyingHigh rate of refusals but high rate of appeal wins!

CHANGES TO TAX CREDITS

Debate focussed on families but disabled workers also lose out from Working Tax Credit changes – lower threshold and higher rate of withdrawal

UNIVERSAL CREDIT

Who gets it?How do you get it?What are the problems?

UNIVERSAL CREDIT

ESA, housing benefit etc will stop and Universal Credit takes over.

Not sure WHEN that might happen but probably not till 2018 for people with disabilities (April 2016 for newly-unemployed)

Claim and maintain on-line Benefit paid once a month, not every week or fortnight –

and 6 week wait for first paymentEasier to get benefits sorted-out if someone moves into a

job.“Universal Support Delivered Locally” – personal

budgeting support and alternative payment arrangements

THANK YOU

gary.vaux@hertfordshire.gov.uk