ESA & Remploy

[Rapha]

Hello

 

My brother has recently been transferred to ESA Support group and has asked me to find out the following.

 

1. If he asks the job centre to refer him to Remploy or The Shaw Trust, will this affect his ESA, may he lose it by attending either place?

 

2. If he missed an appointment at either place, would he be sanctioned?

 

Thank you.

[Mr.P]

Why would he want a referral to either Remploy or Shaw Trust ?

 

Assuming the referral is for the Work Programme, the statistics for the ESA Support Group are abysmally poor and fall well below expectations - Even the parliamentary committees have slated the results and poured scorn on the money wasted.

 

As he is an ESA.SG claimant, his participation in any scheme would be on a voluntary basis, so he would (normally) avoid any sanction for not attending an appointment. That said, one regular poster here has had to fight sanctions after a WP provider raised invalid benefit doubts.

[Nystagmite]

He won't lose his ESA if he asked for help.

 

But I wouldn't personally. I've had a lot of problems with the work programme and was with Remploy for a while and had problems with them. (got moaned at for cancelling an appointment 2 hours in advance - I was poorly)

[Rapha]

My brother told me he wants to work and has been told by Remploy, about a year ago, that they might be able to get him a job in CCTV.

 

Do you mean by - " WP provider raised invalid benefit doubts", that they thought the person should not be eligible for ESA SG because they wanted to look for work even if their disability meant many jobs were unsuitable?

[antone]

My brother told me he wants to work and has been told by Remploy, about a year ago, that they might be able to get him a job in CCTV.

 

Do you mean by - " WP provider raised invalid benefit doubts", that they thought the person should not be eligible for ESA SG because they wanted to look for work even if their disability meant many jobs were unsuitable?

 

Not that, no - it really isn't up to the WP provider to decide whether or not a person should be entitled to ESA, or to say what rate they should be receiving.

 

If I'm thinking of the same person as Mr P, the guy was harassed by one of the WP providers for failing to participate in their appointments and whatever even though his participation had become voluntary after a change in his circumstances and he made it clear to them that he was not volunteering.

 

I'm with those saying to avoid the WP if at all possible. Your brother can still look for opportunities to work in a role that will be suitable for him, if he wants and feels able to do so. He could even consider Permitted Work if something turns up - this allows a claimant to work a limited number of hours for a limited wage and keep both their wages and their benefits.

[Rapha]

Thank you Antone, that is helpful information and I will pass it on to my brother.

[Rapha]

I'm not sure if I need to create another thread for this question or need to try a different category.

 

Has anyone on ESA had experience with Workwise or been on a free training course that has led directly to full time employment?

 

If someone receives ESA SG, gets a job then is paid off due to job cuts, can they re apply for ESA or is it unlikely they would receive it because they had been working and would need to apply for job seekers instead even if they have a disability which limits job prospects?

[osdset]

 

If I'm thinking of the same person as Mr P, the guy was harassed by one of the WP providers for failing to participate in their appointments and whatever even though his participation had become voluntary after a change in his circumstances and he made it clear to them that he was not volunteering.

 

That poster would be me. My advice is to avoid the WP like the plague, it's bad enough when a claimant gets a mandatory referral and is stuck with the provider for two years, To volunteer is akin to Turkey's voting for Christmas IMO.

[antone]

I'm not sure if I need to create another thread for this question or need to try a different category.

 

Has anyone on ESA had experience with Workwise or been on a free training course that has led directly to full time employment?

 

If someone receives ESA SG, gets a job then is paid off due to job cuts, can they re apply for ESA or is it unlikely they would receive it because they had been working and would need to apply for job seekers instead even if they have a disability which limits job prospects?

 

No experience with Workwise, sorry.

 

Regarding your second question, if a person on ESA gets a job and then has to leave (whether they're paid off, leave due to illness or whatever) then they can apply for ESA again - the fact that they have worked does not disqualify them. The way to think of it this way: ESA is for people with limited capability for work, not necessarily no capability at all. The problem faced by a lot of ESA claimants isn't that they couldn't do any sort of work. It's more that their health problems make it difficult for them to participate in the labour market alongside people with no limiting health conditions.

 

So in the case you describe, a person could make a new application for ESA. Whether they'd be paid it or not depends on their circumstances at the time of the new application, but the fact that they worked doesn't mean they won't get it.

[Rapha]

I have advised my brother about avoiding Remploy and other providers but he is insistent that he wants to go. Remploy told him that he needs to be referred by the job centre but he is not registered with any job centre so would he go to the JC and just ask for a referral?

[antone]

If he's determined to do this, he should visit or call the closest Jobcentre and explain to them what he wants. A call might be best at first as he made need to speak to a particular person there who could be out of the office or busy or whatever.

 

He should be careful about what he does, and this goes doubly if he is referred to the Work Programme. At the very least, make certain he checks whether any referral he is offered involves the WP.

[Mr.P]

He should be careful about what he does, and this goes doubly if he is referred to the Work Programme. At the very least, make certain he checks whether any referral he is offered involves the WP.

 

One more question that he must ask and get a reply in writing: Once placed on what ever programme that is available, does participation become mandatory ?

 

If the answer is "yes", walk away until such time as referral and participation remains voluntary. It is possible that he finds the provision is unsuitable and would want an early exit without penalty. If it becomes mandatory, that option will not exist.