IB to ESA migration – NAWRA’s report to the Public Accounts Committee

NAWRA has submitted a response to the Public Accounts Committee inquiry into the errors made when incapacity benefit claimants who were migrated over to contributory ESA (cESA) were not assessed for income-related ESA (irESA). A big thank you to all those who took the time to respond to the survey Read more…

IB and ESA conversion – letter to Damian Green, MP

We have written to Damian Green MP, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, to raise concerns about what we see as the DWPs failure to follow correct legal procedures on conversion of incapacity benefit claimants to employment and support allowance.  The full text of our letter is reproduced below. Read more…

Welfare Reform and disability

NAWRA welcomes the recent announcement from the new Secretary of State for Work & Pensions, Stephen Crabb MP, to abandon further cuts to PIP. NAWRA hopes that his promises not to seek “alternative offsetting savings” in this Parliament will also be honoured. Let us not forget however that according to Read more…

Regulation 35(2)b of ESA Regulations and subsequent submissions by SoS following this precedent

These paragraphs from a submission made by the Secretary of State are a new indication of how the Secretary of State is attempting to meet the requirements as set out by the decision of IM v SSWP (ESA) [2014] UKUT 412 (AAC). The Secretary of State in the paragraphs 16 Read more…

Is the writing finally on the wall for the WCA?

Eri Mountbatten writes: NAWRA members will be aware of prominent reports being published that have highlighted significant problems with the application and administration of the Work Capability Assessment (WCA) by the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) and by its contractors, most notably Atos. In July 2014, the Work and Read more…