Incapacity Benefit to ESA

If the change does go ahead starting at the end of the year and as suggested on this site when your next PCA assessment is due.
Will that mean because it is a means tested benefit that anyone that receives a company pension that was ignored for IB benefits will lose most of the new benefit because it is means tested.
Effectively meaning that even if you poass the medical you still would not receive any money but get credits only.

Hi,

There are two types of Employment Support Allowance (ESA), Contribution-based ESA, which like IB is paid if you have paid sufficient National Insurance contributions, and Income-based ESA.

Only Income-based ESA is means-tested.

There is full information on ESA in the members only area ESA Resources

Hope this helps.

Pat.

Is it a fact that all existing claimants of IB under 60 will be transferred to ESA and have to qualify with the more stringent medical.
Does it follow then that althoughI have been on IB for 21 years and I am 59. That I may be found capable of some work.
Who would employ a man of 59 with health problems that hasn't worked for 21 years. That is assuming I have got it right, have I?

If I am called for another medical in 6 months that could coincide with the transference of IB claimants to ESA.
Would it not follow therefor that I will be subject to the stricter medical and could in fact be assessed as capable of work where I wasn't uner the IB medical.
If that is the case am I obliged to seek work to keep ESA.
As I am nearly 60 and been on IB for 21 years, what chance have I that an employer would offer me a job even if I was capable of some work. What happens then?

It would seem that the information in resource file
"Revealed: why exempt incapacity claimants get questionnaires"
although accurate about the IB50 form, does not - at least for new rather than ongoing claims - apply to its replacement the ESA50.
Rea££y neat trick, ATOS.

Although conversion from incapacity benefits to ESA will begin with a small pilot in October 2010, full scale conversion will not commence until February 2011 and is intended to finish in March 2014, except for claimants receiving national insurance credits only.

Full details on the transfer of existing IB claimants to ESA was posted by Steve in the Members only news in mid-January Forced move to ESA – your transfer date revealed

However, don't forget there'll be a General Election in May, so things could change.