Hear Us Guide to the Migration from Income Support(IS) and Incapacity Benefit (IB) onto Employment Support Allowance (ESA)

• Over the next 3 years EVERYONE who is on a Sickness Benefit (including Income Support due to incapacity, Incapacity Benefit or Severe Disablement Allowance) will be moved or ‘migrated’ onto Employment and Support Allowance (ESA).

• Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) is a benefit paid to people who are not well enough to work or have limited ability to work because of illness or disability.

• The government has decided that ESA is better suited to supporting those people who can work to get back to work, while continuing to provide for those people who can’t work.

• It has been shown that people who get advice and help with their ESA assessments and/or appeal a decision if they are not happy with it, are more likely to be successful in their claim for ESA. So the advice is, DON’T PANIC.

• Hear Us has worked with SLaM Welfare Benefits Department to condense the migration process into 7 easy-to-follow steps, so that service users will know what to expect when ‘their time comes’ to be assessed for ESA, and most importantly when and how to get help.

• Anyone who is currently on the SLaM Involvement Register should contact 020 3228 2942 for Benefit Advice and help with filling out forms. Help is also available from other organisations (see pages 92 & 95)

• NB: Disability Living Allowance is NOT affected by the migration.