The truth about benefit uprating for ESA

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refitman
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The truth about benefit uprating for ESA

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ephemerid
The truth about benefit uprating for ESAPosted: Fri Jan 11, 2013 9:29 pm

Georges Smith and Osborne have made a lot of fuss about the uprating of what they call "disability" benefits, which they say will not be affected by the 1% cap on rate rises.

Whilst Disability Living Allowance will rise with inflation (currently at 2.7%) ESA will not.

JSA is paid at one level for the over 25s, ie. £71 PW.

ESA is paid at 3 levels - assessment/appeal rate, £71 PW.
- WRAG, at £99.15, ie. £71 basic plus £28.15 WRAG component
- Support, at £105.05, £71 basic plus £34.15 Support component.

ESA basic rate rise is capped at 1% just like JSA. A rise of 71 pence.
WRAG component rate rise is to be capped at 1% too. Arise of 99 pence.

It is only the extra component of Support rate which gets the inflation-rate rise.
We don't know exactly what that is, but it will be about 2.5%.

So the "protection" for seriously ill people will be 71 pence plus another 80 pence or so.

So once again, they have LIED.
Ohsocynical Posted: Fri Jan 11, 2013 10:01 pm

They never tell the truth...I've mistrusted politicians of all colours for a long time, but this lot make me sick to my stomach with rage.
HindleA Posted: Sat Jan 12, 2013 2:47 am

Similarly it is only the appropriate premiums in IS that go up with inflation(they have already reduced all by the change from Rossi/RPI to CPI remember) with the main personal allowances raised by 1%.The Government justifies the capping of WRAG component as people in that group will be able to move towards the labour market and will be better able to cope with a below inflation rise(than support group).At the end of the period the proportion of the social security budget received by pensioners will increase from 53% to 56%.A point I have not seen reported is that as a consequence many people will receive less than the current legislation deems necessary to meet basic needs,which are themselves already regarded as being significantly lower than many people regard as providing for a minimum acceptable standard.There is a statutory requirement to uprate certain benefits by inflation-DLA,CA,AA ie the ones he did not change ,no legislation was required for the first year,but because currently it requires the Chancellor to" review benefit levels each year in light of changes in prices" and obviously he is not he is capping most of them regardless.Needless to say to limit such benefits for a sustained period is unprecedented.The "protected" ones will go up by 2.2 % from April(the overall effect on ESA support group payments will be 1.4% increase for the reason ephemerid stated)
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