The Autumn Statement 2023

worried33

THAAWT said:

I'm so confused with what is going on.
Still on Tax Credits and Income support here,
DH with mental health and extreme anxiety with me being his carer - he's been on PIP for 10 years,
I'm expecting we're going to be moved to UC any time now.
Is DH going to be suddenly expected to look for work?  His state of mind is NOT good and this is making him so much worse.

Any advice would be much appreciated as i'm struggling to get my head around it all.

Are you able to provide more information, is he on ESA and if so LCWRA or LCW?.

THAAWT

worried33 said:

THAAWT said:

I'm so confused with what is going on.
Still on Tax Credits and Income support here,
DH with mental health and extreme anxiety with me being his carer - he's been on PIP for 10 years,
I'm expecting we're going to be moved to UC any time now.
Is DH going to be suddenly expected to look for work?  His state of mind is NOT good and this is making him so much worse.

Any advice would be much appreciated as i'm struggling to get my head around it all.

Are you able to provide more information, is he on ESA and if so LCWRA or LCW?.

Just tax credits, Income Support and PIP

worried33

Is it income support for sickness?  (means tested version of incapacity benefit).

If it is that I dont think will be affected by anything announced in the autumn budget unless moved over to UC.

The changes announced in the budget affect the WCA which is an assessment for ESA and for people on UC who get it for sickness.  Not for PIP.

poppy123456

THAAWT said:

I'm so confused with what is going on.
Still on Tax Credits and Income support here,
DH with mental health and extreme anxiety with me being his carer - he's been on PIP for 10 years,
I'm expecting we're going to be moved to UC any time now.
Is DH going to be suddenly expected to look for work?  His state of mind is NOT good and this is making him so much worse.

Any advice would be much appreciated as i'm struggling to get my head around it all.

When you migrate to UC your partner will need to make sure he reports his health condition, supported by a fit note within 7 days of this. He will then be referred for a work capability assessment. Once referred he will receive the UC50 form in the post to fill in and return.

If found to have LCWRA he will be entitled to extra money from the 4th month after he reported his health condition. 

While he waits for the WCA decision he will be classed as a job seeker. It’s a work coaches discretion to either turn off or reduce commitments, some do and others don’t. If he’s unable to attend his local job centre he can ask for telephone appointments as a reasonable adjustment. 

You can read the guide that I wrote here https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/110560/uc-managed-migration-guide#latest

THAAWT

worried33 said:

Is it income support for sickness?  (means tested version of incapacity benefit).

If it is that I dont think will be affected by anything announced in the autumn budget unless moved over to UC.

The changes announced in the budget affect the WCA which is an assessment for ESA and for people on UC who get it for sickness.  Not for PIP.

Income Support i think is because i get carers allowance.

I am expecting we will be moved over to UC in the near future as we are on Tax Credits too so UC an assessment will be needed for his mental health.

THAAWT

poppy123456 said:

THAAWT said:

I'm so confused with what is going on.
Still on Tax Credits and Income support here,
DH with mental health and extreme anxiety with me being his carer - he's been on PIP for 10 years,
I'm expecting we're going to be moved to UC any time now.
Is DH going to be suddenly expected to look for work?  His state of mind is NOT good and this is making him so much worse.

Any advice would be much appreciated as i'm struggling to get my head around it all.

When you migrate to UC your partner will need to make sure he reports his health condition, supported by a fit note within 7 days of this. He will then be referred for a work capability assessment. Once referred he will receive the UC50 form in the post to fill in and return.

If found to have LCWRA he will be entitled to extra money from the 4th month after he reported his health condition. 

While he waits for the WCA decision he will be classed as a job seeker. It’s a work coaches discretion to either turn off or reduce commitments, some do and others don’t. If he’s unable to attend his local job centre he can ask for telephone appointments as a reasonable adjustment. 

You can read the guide that I wrote here https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/110560/uc-managed-migration-guide#latest

Thank you, I've been trying to read this forum and get my head around everything. 
Am i right in thinking there is or is going to be a new WCA?  Do we know what that looks like yet?

poppy123456

THAAWT said:

poppy123456 said:

THAAWT said:

I'm so confused with what is going on.
Still on Tax Credits and Income support here,
DH with mental health and extreme anxiety with me being his carer - he's been on PIP for 10 years,
I'm expecting we're going to be moved to UC any time now.
Is DH going to be suddenly expected to look for work?  His state of mind is NOT good and this is making him so much worse.

Any advice would be much appreciated as i'm struggling to get my head around it all.

When you migrate to UC your partner will need to make sure he reports his health condition, supported by a fit note within 7 days of this. He will then be referred for a work capability assessment. Once referred he will receive the UC50 form in the post to fill in and return.

If found to have LCWRA he will be entitled to extra money from the 4th month after he reported his health condition. 

While he waits for the WCA decision he will be classed as a job seeker. It’s a work coaches discretion to either turn off or reduce commitments, some do and others don’t. If he’s unable to attend his local job centre he can ask for telephone appointments as a reasonable adjustment. 

You can read the guide that I wrote here https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/110560/uc-managed-migration-guide#latest

Am i right in thinking there is or is going to be a new WCA?  Do we know what that looks like yet?

For new claims from 2025, if they go ahead. No, we do not know all the details yet.

apple85

LeoGuaje7 said:

Labour are historically not as evil as the Tories, and there is much nicer MP's on the Labour side. Although Starmer and Reeves seem absolutely awful, i would expect for things to be better for disabled people under Labour.

I would of agreed with you as early as 3 months back, but after reading & seeing interviews like on the link below and that (at least for support/lcwra groups) the benefit reforms weren’t as bad as expected (as in worst worst case scenario being avoided)
I’m going to say something that I thought was unthinkable a week back (and is hugely triggered by who are shadow ministers and not individual backbenchers) - but would the disabled be better off under a Tory government than a labour one based on current setup?? (and yes I threw up a bit in my mouth saying that)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aBT0yEuWK_4


@worried33 - the Rachel reeves wca quotes you are referring to - are they from her house of commons response to Jeremy hunts autumn statement speech?
I agree it didn’t sound great but I don’t think she was explicitly saying she wanted to replace the wca to reduce the number on sickness benefits (she mentioned both separately rather than directly linking to way I read it)

apple85

Serious question:

when these new wca/benefit reforms kick in 2025 (presuming the tories are still in charge the next election) - what are the differences between those on jsa/uc ‘fit to work’ groups and those on esa wrag/uc lcw group?

to me the gap between the 2 is tightening even further

in comparison the gap between esa wrag/lcw and the support/lcwra groups would be significantly widened when judged on pressure put on claimants and the weekly amount

i mean what is the current point of the current & upcoming version of the wrag/wca group?!

true  to be a true middle group between ‘fit to work’ claimant and the support/lcwra groups imo

apple85

On the flipside (because my old default used to be ‘Tory’s out at all costs’ - now I’m flip flopping on that process) below is the nearest thing we’ve got to a draft Labour Party manifesto:

https://labourlist.org/2023/10/labour-national-policy-forum-final-document-summary-policy-manifesto-party-conference/

https://labourlist.org/2023/11/labour-conference-what-policies-announced-pledges-manifesto/

THAAWT

Votadini said:

Danny123 said:

I'm pretty sure I would qualify for the descriptors in the new look assessment even after theve updated it  .... but am I right in thinking even if at this moment your an existing surport group and lcwra claimant and if you then have to take the new look assessment and pass they can still make you work from home and of you can't they will cut your benefits? 

No, all the changes announced yesterday only apply to new claims, it was one of the few things they were unambiguous about.

poppy123456 said:

THAAWT said:

poppy123456 said:

THAAWT said:

I'm so confused with what is going on.
Still on Tax Credits and Income support here,
DH with mental health and extreme anxiety with me being his carer - he's been on PIP for 10 years,
I'm expecting we're going to be moved to UC any time now.
Is DH going to be suddenly expected to look for work?  His state of mind is NOT good and this is making him so much worse.

Any advice would be much appreciated as i'm struggling to get my head around it all.

When you migrate to UC your partner will need to make sure he reports his health condition, supported by a fit note within 7 days of this. He will then be referred for a work capability assessment. Once referred he will receive the UC50 form in the post to fill in and return.

If found to have LCWRA he will be entitled to extra money from the 4th month after he reported his health condition. 

While he waits for the WCA decision he will be classed as a job seeker. It’s a work coaches discretion to either turn off or reduce commitments, some do and others don’t. If he’s unable to attend his local job centre he can ask for telephone appointments as a reasonable adjustment. 

You can read the guide that I wrote here https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/110560/uc-managed-migration-guide#latest

Am i right in thinking there is or is going to be a new WCA?  Do we know what that looks like yet?

For new claims from 2025, if they go ahead. No, we do not know all the details yet.

Thank you, so when Votadini said above that 'what they announced yesterday will only apply to new claims' does he mean from 2025?

So if we are moved over in 2024 we will be in exactly the same position if we had been moved over this year or last year?

thank you for your advice

poppy123456

THAAWT said:

Votadini said:

Danny123 said:

I'm pretty sure I would qualify for the descriptors in the new look assessment even after theve updated it  .... but am I right in thinking even if at this moment your an existing surport group and lcwra claimant and if you then have to take the new look assessment and pass they can still make you work from home and of you can't they will cut your benefits? 

No, all the changes announced yesterday only apply to new claims, it was one of the few things they were unambiguous about.

poppy123456 said:

THAAWT said:

poppy123456 said:

THAAWT said:

I'm so confused with what is going on.
Still on Tax Credits and Income support here,
DH with mental health and extreme anxiety with me being his carer - he's been on PIP for 10 years,
I'm expecting we're going to be moved to UC any time now.
Is DH going to be suddenly expected to look for work?  His state of mind is NOT good and this is making him so much worse.

Any advice would be much appreciated as i'm struggling to get my head around it all.

When you migrate to UC your partner will need to make sure he reports his health condition, supported by a fit note within 7 days of this. He will then be referred for a work capability assessment. Once referred he will receive the UC50 form in the post to fill in and return.

If found to have LCWRA he will be entitled to extra money from the 4th month after he reported his health condition. 

While he waits for the WCA decision he will be classed as a job seeker. It’s a work coaches discretion to either turn off or reduce commitments, some do and others don’t. If he’s unable to attend his local job centre he can ask for telephone appointments as a reasonable adjustment. 

You can read the guide that I wrote here https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/110560/uc-managed-migration-guide#latest

Am i right in thinking there is or is going to be a new WCA?  Do we know what that looks like yet?

For new claims from 2025, if they go ahead. No, we do not know all the details yet.

So if we are moved over in 2024 we will be in exactly the same position if we had been moved over this year or last year?

Yes because 2024, is before 2025.

Meg24

Idk who we'll be better off under atm, but I do know that the most right wing libertarians are driving the Tories right now, which means they want us to be more like the USA with all the lack of healthcare, time-limited benefits and no workers rights that they endure. I mean Women don't even have the right to maternity leave or pay and most working class people never take annual leave, because it's unpaid. I don't want this country to turn into that, so whatever happens to me my priority will always be to vote against that, for ky daughter and future generations if not for me.

Votadini

I agree with Meg24 above. To vote based solely on what is best for myself would be the kind of 'I'm alright Jack' selfishness that's been promoted by the Conservatives and their press for the last 50 years. Labour may end up being little better under Starmer and Reeves but at least there's a chance for change, whereas under the Tories we're guaranteed more of the same. More demonising and scapegoating of vulnerable minorities, more corruption, more crumbling services, more pollution in our rivers and seas, more of our wealth funnelled from the poorest to the rich. To vote for a continuation of that based entirely on what might be better for my benefits would be an unconscionable act of self interest and I wouldn't be able to live with myself.

Lizzieloo

I moved over uc and got told my wca is safe until 2025 but have letter of new style esa saying I got an appointment at job center to do my Claimant commitment for esa. I am confused as on old esa I was in the support group. Does this mean I have to look for work? I appreciate if anyone could help me 

poppy123456

Lizzieloo said:

I moved over uc and got told my wca is safe until 2025 but have letter of new style esa saying I got an appointment at job center to do my Claimant commitment for esa. I am confused as on old esa I was in the support group. Does this mean I have to look for work? I appreciate if anyone could help me 

It's normal procedure to have to attend your local job centre when it's a new claim so you can agree to your claimant commiments. You do not have to look for work.

Lizzieloo

Thank you poppy123456

So I don't need to worry about it 

poppy123456

Lizzieloo said:

Thank you poppy123456

So I don't need to worry about it 

No, it’s nothing to worry about. It will just be for you to agree to report any changes. No further appointments will be needed.

mason50

Poppy can you agree to the report of change over a phone call from the job centre in certain circumstances that the person can’t go to the job centre 

poppy123456

mason50 said:

Poppy can you agree to the report of change over a phone call from the job centre in certain circumstances that the person can’t go to the job centre 

Sorry but I don’t understand what you mean by “agree to the report of change “