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Do you need to claim Employment and Support Allowance?

The campaigns team want to hear from you. E-mail the campaigns team.

Welfare Reform

The government’s Welfare Reform Act (2007) means that Incapacity Benefit and disability related Income Support are being replaced by a new benefit called Employment and Support Allowance. Employment and Support Allowance was introduced in October 2008 onwards and, to begin with, will only apply to completely new claimants.

Employment and Support Allowance

Read details of the changes to the benefits system, and find out how they will affect people with MS

Find out more about the changes. 

The welfare reform green paper - Autumn 2008

The MS Society has responded to the latest welfare reform green paper. It includes sections on

  • Helping people with MS to return to work;
  • Improving Access to Work for people with fluctuating conditions; and
  • Personalising employment services;

Read our response to the welfare reform green paper, No-one Written Off (184 kb) [pdf] 

Download 'Incapacity Benefit and Employment - The experiences of people with MS or arthritis' (238 kb) [pdf]

Read a report on the experiences of people with MS and arthritis who use employment services. The report, commissioned by the MS Society and Arthritis Care, explores the particular employment issues faced by people with fluctuating conditions and hidden disabilities.  

The Disability Benefits Consortium

The MS Society also lobbies government on benefit issues as a member of the Disability Benefits Consortium. The Disability Benefits Consortium brings together a wide range of disability organisations, cancer charities, older people’s organisations, advice services, and carers’ organisations.
 

Benefits and MS

Find out more about the benefits to which people with MS are entitled. 
 
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