Yet another expensive Tory Welfare reform in tatters

[al**bear]

ESA helping less, costing more

The key sickness benefit is helping fewer people get jobs, while its rising cost is a big financial risk for the UK, internal government memos say.

The memos, obtained by the BBC, say the Department for Work and Pensions is struggling to deliver employment support allowance (ESA).

ESA was introduced in 2008 to replace incapacity benefit.

The government acknowledged there had been problems but said it was bringing in a new firm to do tests for ESA.

The documents - which include six memos written by civil servants and advisers - also say claimants face an average nine-month wait after assessments. The target is three months.

ESA is intended for people who are unable to work due to sickness or disability. Claimants undergo tests, called work capability assessments, before learning whether they are eligible.

The memos say that ESA "is not delivering more positive outcomes for claimants" than incapacity benefit did.

The payment's costs are expected to rise by almost £13bn by 2018/19, the documents say, warning the increase is "one of the largest fiscal risks currently facing the government".

The benefit is becoming a "long-term destination" for too many people, they say, and more people than expected are becoming eligible for it.

This is thought to be partly due to restrictions on jobseeker's allowance leading to an increase in ESA claimants.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-27927842

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Firstly - YES, it was brought in by Labour -  BUT they brought it in only for NEW claimants,  IT was a Tory decision to expand it, to existing claimants, putting a massive extra workload on something not set up for the numbers involved.

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And Finally

Did you see the announcement about the great Government 'sucess' in getting nearly a third of a million, People off the longterm unemployment figures and back into work.

It might have been a 'sucess' in getting the embarrassing number down, but it is also an expensive scheme, that cost a lot, but failed to place People in longterm Jobs, approximately only 50k, got REAL jobs, most were stuck into NON Jobs, that lasted less than 2 mths, then returned them to the Dole, might have helped force the longterm figure down, but did not create many real Jobs,

[lambsy_uk]

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz......................................

[al**bear]

So now we have Iain Duncan Smith on our TVS and in the Papers, boasting about rolling out Universal Credit to a bigger area

'fantastic benefit, sorts everything out, everyone loves it, no problems'

According to Him anyway,

While He fails to mention it is only dealing with the most  basic 'Single people' NEW claimant cases, even with these simple cases, in a very small test area, the system is finding it difficult to keep up with demand

This fanfare release, comes only just over a week since the Governments own Independent expert, said it was a total disaster, when reporting to the Work and Pensions select Committee

If it's so good Mr Smith , why did you try to bury the Governments OWN REVIEW (very bad) into the implementation of UC, by timing it's release to coincide with the Local election results  ??

They also tried to say the review was on the Old system, which was another LIE, most of this review was based on the 'reset system' not the already failing system.

But all Politicians involved in the DWP. Including ID Smith, McVey etc etc refused and refute any and all criticism, even when it comes from Civil servants, their own experts, Independent experts , the Charities, the Citizen advice Bureaus etc

They spout meaningless and doctored statistics  that give great soundbites, but with nothing behind them. They have also written off many many £millions wasted on Computer systems at lease twice

[confusedjohn]

I seem to remember the Govt saying that putting all the claims into the DWP system would save millions of pounds by having everything under one system.  I also think, shortly before before putting this into action, the DWP had a computer crash that cost a large amount of money to put right.  I would have thought the message would have got through by then...having all your eggs in one basket could prove disasterous if the same thing happened again and from I gather, it looks like they are going to have to upgrade the computer system again because of the amount of information that is needed just for storeage alone, let alone the working system....more money down the drain because the marrket research was inadequate.

[al**bear]

C/John

They have had 2 major, redesing from scratch on the computer system to use for UC, both meaning loses of many many £millions and thats only the major re-writes.  This while only trying to process, simple claiments, who are single, with the basic Jobseakers needs. ie The basic JS allowance, no extras needs, no spouses, no children, no Disabilaties etc etc

[confusedjohn]

Al-Bear,

The more they try to simplify systems, as with the roll-out of the universal credit, the more they find out it isn't going to work as they thought it would.  By all accounts it should have been completed this year....yet more money wasted.

Cheers,

John.

[joe_bloggs*]

I see Boris Johnson had ordered some second hand German water cannons,he even volunteered to be sprayed by them!

http://games.usvsth3m.com/the-water-cannon-boris-johnson-game/?utm_source=Us+Vs+Th3m+newsletter&utm_...

Wonder if he'll use it on the disabled?

http://www.theguardian.com/society/2014/jun/28/occupy-westminster-disabled-people-against-cuts