In Febuary 2011, the government issued a bill to parliament to change the way the benefits are paid. This is called the Welfare Reform Bill. It has some good ideas that will benefit some people. But it is also changing the benefits payable to disabled adults. If you have worked and qualify for contribution based employment and support allwoance your benefit will stop, regardless of your disability. If this bill is passed there will be a time limit in your claim for ESA. Time-limiting of ESA If the changes to ESA proposed in the Welfare Reform Bill are passed, this will mean that from April 2012: For new contributory ESA claims, a time limit of one year is to apply to claimants who are placed in the WRAG from April 2012 For existing claims, people in the WRAG already receiving contributory ESA as at April 2012 will have the period of time already spent on that benefit before April 2012 taken into account in calculating the one year period. For example, someone claiming contributory ESA on 1st January 2012 will have received three months benefit by April and will be entitled (subject to other conditions of entitlement being met) to a further nine months benefit The 13 week assessment phase will form part of the calculation of the one year period For people who have already received a year or more contributory ESA as at April 2012, their entitlement to contributory ESA will cease immediately Claimants who are in receipt of Incapacity Benefit who are reassessed and qualify for ESA (C) before April 2012 will have their benefit time limited – with the 12 months period running from the point of conversion People who are in receipt of Incapacity Benefit and are reassessed and qualify for ESA (C) after April 2012 will also receive 12 months ESA(C) from the point of conversion Claimants in receipt of income-related ESA and all those in the ESA Support Group are unaffected by this change. Basically, if you have worked and are contribution based ESA then you are being punished, despite your condition or disability. Please help stop this bill and get the government to enforce a fairer system that treats income based and contribution based ESA claimants eqaully.