Ministers visit new Employment and Support Allowance centre

Minister for Social Development Margaret Ritchie, and Minister for Employment and Learning Sir Reg Empey, today visited the new Employment and Support Allowance benefit centre.

The centre was created to manage the new Employment and Support Allowance benefit. This replaces Incapacity Benefit, and Income Support paid on the grounds of incapacity, for new customers only.

Both Ministers were keen to witness first hand the new facilities in action following the positive start to Employment and Support Allowance since its launch on 27 October.

Minister Ritchie said: “The quickest and easiest way for customers to make a claim is by using the freephone service provided by the new Employment and Support Allowance Centre. So far, the Centre has handled over 14,000 telephone calls since the launch and I am pleased to see it all working so smoothly.”

Employment and Support Allowance builds on the successful ‘Pathways to Work’ programme. Pathways to Work, which is managed by the Department for Employment and Learning, has been fully rolled out in Northern Ireland since April this year.

Minister Empey stated: “For most people, the best route out of poverty and social exclusion is through work. Employment and Support Allowance builds on Pathways to Work which is providing, and will continue to provide, the support that has already helped over 3,000 people, who have manageable health conditions and disabilities, to move into employment and away from welfare dependency.”

Notes to Editors:

1. From 27 October 2008 Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) replaced Incapacity Benefit and Income Support paid on incapacity grounds for new customers.
2. Existing Incapacity Benefit or Income Support customers will initially continue to receive their existing benefits, so long as they satisfy the entitlement conditions.
3. For customers wishing to make a new claim to ESA they, or an appointed representative, should ring the ESA Centre on freephone 0800 085 6318.
4. If a customer would like to make a claim and they suffer from speech or hearing difficulties, they should ring text phone 0800 328 3419.
5. If the customer has already contacted the ESA Centre and wishes to report a change in his/her circumstances, or provide any additional information, they should ring 0845 602 7301.
6. The new ESA Centre is situated in the Gasworks Business Park, Belfast.
7. ESA offers personalised support and financial help if people are not working due to an illness or disability. It gives people access to a specially trained personal adviser and a wide range of further services.
8. Central to ESA are the new medical assessments which examine what people can do, rather than what they can’t, and identify what personal support they might need.
9. Most people claiming ESA will be expected to take appropriate steps to help prepare for work, including attending a series of work-focused interviews with a personal adviser.
10. Under ESA people with an illness or disability that means they are unable to undertake any form of work-related activity will get increased financial support and will not be expected to prepare for a return to work.
11. More information about the benefits of work for health can be found at www.workingforhealth.gov.uk.
12. Media enquiries to DSD Press Office on 028 9082 9497. Out of Office hours contact the EIS Duty Press Officer via pager number 07699 715440 and your call will be returned.