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From: The Socialist issue 863, 8 July 2015: Greek workers show the way

Search site for keywords: Benefits - ESA - JSA - Housing - Disabled - Employment and Support Allowance - Incapacity - Welfare - Atos - Unemployed

ESA under the cosh

Photo Paul Mattsson

The Tories intend to slash Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) by almost £30 a week. ESA, which replaced incapacity benefit in 2008, is paid to disabled people or those too ill to work who have extra needs.

ESA claimants in the Work Related Activity Group (Wrag) currently get £28.75 a week more than Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA). The government will reduce this to just 50p a week more.

To qualify for ESA, claimants must go through a work assessment interview, previously carried out by the disgraced Atos company. There can be three outcomes: You could be found fit for work and told to claim JSA. You could be found to have limited capability for work and put in Wrag. Or you could be put in the support group.

Thousands either denied benefit or put in the wrong group have had their decisions overturned on appeal.

However, you can't claim benefit while the Mandatory Reconsideration is being made, so claimants are driven into absolute poverty, forced to go to charities just to get vouchers for food.

Additionally, someone on ESA or JSA can also receive housing benefit. However, if it is stopped, housing benefit also stops, with the threat of homelessness.

The Department for Work and Pensions advice is to claim JSA in the meantime. However, to claim JSA means that the claimant is admitting that they are looking for and capable of work - and therefore ineligible for ESA!

Osborne's welfare axe:

Massively cut working tax credits to millions of families
Slash Employment and Support Allowance for sick and disabled people
Freeze benefit rates for the next two years
Reduce the benefits cap by thousands of pounds a year
Charge market rents to tenants in social housing earning above the average salary
End full housing benefit for low income households
Axe entirely the limited housing benefit to unemployed 18 to 21-year olds

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Finance appeal

The coronavirus crisis has laid bare the class character of society in numerous ways. It is making clear to many that it is the working class that keeps society running, not the CEOs of major corporations.

The results of austerity have been graphically demonstrated as public services strain to cope with the crisis.

The government has now ripped up its 'austerity' mantra and turned to policies that not long ago were denounced as socialist. But after the corona crisis, it will try to make the working class pay for it, by trying to claw back what has been given.

The Socialist Party's material is more vital than ever, so we can continue to report from workers who are fighting for better health and safety measures, against layoffs, for adequate staffing levels, etc.
When the health crisis subsides, we must be ready for the stormy events ahead and the need to arm workers' movements with a socialist programme - one which puts the health and needs of humanity before the profits of a few.