Wednesday 30 March 2011

Write To Your MP on ESA

It’s really important to impress on MPs that ESA is not fit for purpose.
More details at - http://www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/news/latest-news/1336-one-very-last-chance-for-you-to-stop-the-harsh-new-esa-test

Please help by sending the e-mail below to as many MPs as possible.
You can find contact details for your MP at - http://www.parliament.uk/mps-lords-and-offices/mps/


I am writing to you as a disability campaigner, representing The Broken of Britain.

Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) is the benefit designed to help disabled people or people with a long term health condition who are unable to work or may need extra time and support to find work. However, the test used for the benefit is so tough that thousands of people are being turned away and denied the support they need.

The Government now plans to make this test even tougher. There are regulations before Parliament that would change the criteria used to decide who gets ESA and if these go through thousands more people will be denied the support they need - http://www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/news/latest-news/1336-one-very-last-chance-for-you-to-stop-the-harsh-new-esa-test

These changes are being put forward despite the fact that the second independent review of ESA is currently looking at the criteria used when assessing people for ESA and how these are working. Any changes to the test for ESA should wait until the second independent review reports
to Parliament.

Please show your opposition to these regulations by supporting EDM 1651 or speaking against the regulations in the chamber.


- Thanks go to CarerWatch

8 comments:

Robert said...

The sad part for all this is my MP thinks welfare went to far and to many people are claiming benefits, is she right or is she wrong. Over on labourlist now an MP is talking about carers hard working tax payers, hard working police doctors nurses and carers, how they should get more money how they need help, sod all about benefits rising, nothing about sick or the disabled we are now fast becoming labours outcasts.

What was he talking about the Christian faith.....

Anonymous said...

All my MP has ever said on any issue be it DLA or ESA etc is... ''If you are truly disabled you have nothing to worry about''

Yes - she is a Tory

She seems to vote on very few EDMs and I dont think she will last long in the world of politcs as she seems to not care what her constituents say and all she replies is the party line meaning to me that she lacks a brain - I wonder what will happen if alot of these Tory MPs suddenly end up disabled!

Scum - The lot of em

And because Liberals have lickes butt and havent stood up against Cameron - They are just the same - scum!

They all lie but Cameron has taken this to new levels.

Robert said...

The WCA is labours not the Tories, lets be honest 99% of the problems disabled people are getting right now can be traced back to Blair, Brown, then Miliband says he backs welfare reforms, now he says he does not, give us a chance mate tell us what you really think.

The ESA medical and WCA assessments are shocking

Anonymous said...

From what I read - Labour made up the idea and then conservatives came in and put it thrugh and changed the descritors to make them harsher

But - I know nothing - LOL

Robert said...

no they have altered things like rent, and housing benefits but labour would have done it as well the descriptors are the same.

A person with no legs shall be deemed mobile if he can move his wheelchair 50 mtrs.

A person with no hands shall be deemed able if he can move an item from here to here using any part of his body including his stumps.

Andy said...

Yeah, this most recent change to the WCA was started by NuLab and the Tories finished it off.

I did a letter to my MP over the weekend before I knew about the EDM but I sent a follow up about it the other day.

In case anybody doesn't know about it http://www.writetothem.com/ is probably of use, saves messing about with a stamp.

Anonymous said...

I guess if you can use your stumps then you suddenly arent disabled then! I mean - That'll do your zip or buttons on your clothes up!

Robert said...

Dear Robert,

Employment Support Allowance (ESA
Thank you for getting in touch with me and for raising this very important matter.

I am sorry to hear of the accidents and illnesses that have occurred to you and I can quite understand why you do not want to face the additional pressures caused by the changes brought in by this Tory-led Government.

Let me say from the beginning, that while I welcome policies that help people with disabilities get back into work (as most of them want to) I oppose changes in support payments that are only made to save money.

There are also some people who are so profoundly disabled that they cannot work – and that is without considering the prejudice that they face from employers who are unwilling to give them a chance.

I know that people with disabilities incur extra additional costs in their everyday lives. The Employment Support Allowance (ESA) was brought in to replace incapacity benefit, to support people who are unable to work because of ill-health or disability. ESA is not just about finances, but getting extra support to help guide people back into work where appropriate.

The Tory-led Government’s decision to restrict the length of time people can claim the contributory element of ESA to one year (at the moment, there is no time limit, and people can claim ESA until they find another job) will cause untold hardship.

The change will also run counter to the Government's expressed policy of encouraging disabled people back into work.
I agree with you that any changes to the test for ESA should wait until the second independent review reports to parliament.

I am happy to inform you that I have signed EDM 1651 (which was put down by the Labour Party) and of course, should an opportunity arise during a debate, I will speak against the regulations.

Please, let me know if there is any other way I can be of help.

Yours sincerely,