asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether claimants of employment and support allowance who have sufficient national insurance contributions to receive the benefit, or who have been disabled since childhood, will receive the enhanced disability premium automatically, or whether they will need to apply separately for it; and [HL3135]
Whether claimants of employment and support allowance who receive the benefit on income grounds will receive the enhanced disability premium automatically, or whether they will need to apply separately for it. [HL3136]
People who are entitled to contributory employment and support allowance who are placed in the support group will have the enhanced disability premium added to the applicable amount of income-related employment and support allowance automatically. Claimants entitled to income-related employment support allowance who are placed in the support group will automatically become entitled to the enhanced disability premium. Neither will have to make a separate claim.
asked Her Majesty's Government:
What will be the basic weekly rate of employment and support allowance paid to (a) claimants of income-based employment and support allowance and (b) claimants of contribution-based employment and support allowance with no other income and limited savings; and what other benefits and exemptions from charging will be automatically awarded to claimants in each of these two groups. [HL3138]
The basic rate of employment and support allowance will be £84.50 a week for those entitled to the work-related activity component and £89.50 for those entitled to the support component. The rates are the same for people on income-related and contribution-based benefits.
Claimants entitled to income-related employment and support allowance will be automatically passported to the usual range of benefits, as is the case with those currently in receipt of income support, such as NHS prescription charges. People on contribution-based employment and support allowance with no other income and limited savings will have to apply separately as is the case currently for those not on income-related benefits. However, provided that they have no other income or capital, a person in this situation would be entitled to full housing benefit and council tax benefit.