ESA sickness benefit is 'failing', government documents say

[Ripmax]

[QUOTE]The key sickness benefit is helping fewer people get jobs, while its rising cost is a big financial risk for the UK, internal government memos say.

The memos, obtained by the BBC, say the Department for Work and Pensions is struggling to deliver employment support allowance (ESA).

ESA was introduced in 2008 to replace incapacity benefit.

The government acknowledged there had been problems but said it was bringing in a new firm to do tests for ESA.

The documents - which include six memos written by civil servants and advisers - also say claimants face an average nine-month wait after assessments. The target is three months.

ESA is intended for people who are unable to work due to sickness or disability. Claimants undergo tests, called work capability assessments, before learning whether they are eligible.

The memos say that ESA "is not delivering more positive outcomes for claimants" than incapacity benefit did.

The payment's costs are expected to rise by £13bn by 2018/19, the documents say, warning the increase is "one of the largest fiscal risks currently facing the government".

The benefit is becoming a "long-term destination" for too many people, it says, and more people than expected are becoming eligible for it.

This is thought to be partly due to restrictions on jobseeker's allowance leading to an increase in ESA claimants.[/QUOTE]

[url]http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-27927842[/url]

[Zonesylvania]

Funny thing, bureaucracy. The more it gets bloated, the worse it gets at actually doing what it was intended to do in the first place.

[RayvenQ]

Long term destination, yeah government, I'm sorry that my illness/disability is one that I will have for the rest of my life and not something I can just get better with.

Of course ESA isn't helping people get jobs, because the people that go on that mostly aren't in a position to work because of their illness/disability, whether its a permanant or temporary one, thats why it exists, thats what Jobseekers Allowance is For.

Also, I wouldn't fucking trust the government statistics, because they fudge with them as much as possible.

Also, who the fuck in the government thought that a French [B]IT Company[/B] is a suitable fucking candidate for doing health assessments.