RADAR welcomes the publication of regulations for the new Employment and Support Allowance, including a guaranteed income of £102.10 per week for those on the Support component.
The introduction of ESA must be backed up with transparent monitoring, so that we know that more people are moving into work, and not just moving to JSA and not working. The Government must address the fact that Pathways to Work has not proven effective for all groups of disabled people; those with fluctuating conditions or mental health conditions are still not being given enough, or the right, support to move back into sustained employment.
The Government’s plans to merge existing specialist disability employment programmes such as WORKSTEP, Job Introduction Scheme and Work Preparation must include flexible in work support on an ongoing basis for those who need it. A programme which assumes people will move into completely unsupported employment risks reducing retention and will not reduce the current situation where some Incapacity Benefit claimants continually cycle between short-term work and benefits.
Read the ESA regulations here.
Read the transitional regulations here.
Read RADAR's response to the Improving Specialist Disability Employment Services Consultation here.