Incapacity benefits, Income Support (claimed because of a disability) and Severe Disability Allowance are being replaced with a new benefit called Employment and Support Allowance (ESA). Please note, ESA is only applicable in England and Wales.

Everyone claiming these old benefits will be reassessed over the next three years.
This is about one-and-a-half million people.

From May 2011, the Government aims to reassess around 11,000 people each week. The only people excluded from this process will be those who are due to reach state pension age by March 2014.

Factsheets

Moving from incapacity benefits to Employment and Support Allowance

This factsheet explains the transfer of everyone who receives incapacity benefits (Incapacity Benefit, Income Support and Severe Disability Allowance) to Employment and Support Allowance and explains the Work Capability Assessment.

Moving from incapacity benefits to Employment Support Allowance (PDF 45KB)

Moving from incapacity benefits to Employment Support Allowance (TXT 11KB)

Moving from incapacity benefits to Employment Support Allowance (Word 93KB) 

Work Capability Assessment descriptors

This document lists the criteria used to assess a claimant’s capability for work and work-related activity. These criteria should be read alongside Sense’s factsheet ‘Moving from incapacity benefits to Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) via the Work Capability Assessment (WCA)’ (as above)

Work Capability Assessment descriptors (PDF 64KB)

Work Capability Assessment descriptors (TXT 16KB)

Work Capability Assessment descriptors (Word 586KB)