The View From Northern Ireland

by Bernie McSorley

NIAPN Volunteer

January 2009

Employment Support Allowance (ESA) has been introduced as part of the Welfare Reform Act 2007.

 

As currently only new claims are being started on ESA I have not had the pleasure of experiencing it first hand but ESA causes me great concern for families and people with disabilities.

 

I have a 3 year old son and I am in receipt of benefits. I have been educated to HND level in IT related subjects and I am currently working toward a degree. I also do volunteer work one day a week. For a long time now, I have been trying to find part-time work but with no success. The problem is there is a real lack of employment opportunities in the area I live. I do not have a full driving licence and this narrows the scope further. What I can’t understand is if I can’t find work and many people I know can’t find work, how on earth are people going to find work through the new ESA system if the jobs don’t exist. I know some positions will be available in the voluntary sector but not enough to cover the high number of unemployed in my area. I have heard so many people asking “where are the jobs that people are going to do”?

 

According to the Labour Force Survey 2006, in Northern Ireland only 32.8 % of working age adults with disabilities are in employment. That leaves 67.2% to support into employment. The problem is indeed huge. This same survey could not even record the amount of people aged 16+ in part-time employment in the area where I live, because the figure was too small for a reliable estimate. Is it any wonder I cannot find a part-time job? Maybe the government wants everyone in full-time employment even lone parents. Just when will there be time to give children the parental care that they need?

 

More people claim incapacity benefit and DLA in Northern Ireland due to mental health problems rather than physical health problems. Mental health problems can be very hard to diagnose and I don’t feel the assessment phase is adequate enough to comprehend the complexities of disablement especially mental disablement. I am concerned for those people who will be accessed as being fit for work. Many of whom will be really unfit for work and made to enter the Work-Related Activity Group and possibly made to work in an environment unsuitable for them. People have the right to change workplace, but I know a lot of people with mental health problems will probably not express how they feel. The sanctions imposed by ESA will only add to this problem. Many of these people are already living in fear and the added fear of losing their benefit just adds to their anguish. Using fear as a control mechanism will not have a beneficial outcome.

 

It is good to see that the government has recognised that support is needed. I am sure that many people who are eager to enter employment will benefit from the system if they are in a position to work but there are many out there that ESA could have a negative effect on. I have a relative who is currently suffering from a mental health problem that has never been diagnosed. I feel the system has let her down in so many ways. I can see pros and cons of the effect of the ESA system on her. The outcome of her assessment will more than likely conclude she is fit to work as she is completely mobile and always pretends that there is nothing wrong with her. Getting her involved in the work related group will occupy her, and hopefully build on her confidence, but I know that if she is put into work before she is ready she could take a turn for the worse, probably have another breakdown and end up with poorer mental health than she has now. She is an extremely paranoid and anxious person. People with similar conditions need to be nursed back to full health before entering employment. Proper professional support and medical care is needed but I don’t see this listed as a priority in the ESA support service.

 

Some of the reasons why I feel Northern Ireland is not ready for ESA include:

 

· People have not recovered from the trauma of the troubles which had a detrimental effect on the mental health of many.

 

· There is a serious lack of childcare provision.

 

· Many disabled people want to work but far too many employers here discriminate against people with disabilities.

 

· At lot of work places in Northern Ireland do not have proper provisions in place for adequate wheel chair access, wide corridors, automatic doors, braille, loop systems, and other mechanisms needed to make life more equal for those with physical disabilities. I wonder how many employers in NI have the Job Centre Plus’s Disability Two Ticks symbol “Positive about Disabled People”. I have not come across it myself!

 

· We rely on one organisation called ‘Translink’ for our public transport. The service it provides for rural areas is very poor and currently there is talk of cutting more routes. With poor public transport how are people who have disabilities going to get to work if they can’t drive, especially if they live in rural areas.

Families living in poverty have higher levels of stress and I can see ESA escalating this, people will be no better off and will have to find money for childcare and other work related expenses for example; uniforms, lunches, travel, social costs such as work functions, etc.

 

How is ESA going to give people experiencing poverty more opportunities to work themselves out of poverty when wages do not pay enough for a basic standard of living. Northern Ireland is a society where people of all age groups struggle to survive, a disgrace for one of the richest nations in the world. I don’t see how the government are going to meet their targets for reducing poverty with no guarantee of decent pay for a good days work.

 

To me the Welfare Reform proposals particularly the Employment Support Allowance seems like an attack on the home maker and those unfit to work. A way to cut public spending and a measure to bring the government one step closer to a long term goal of privatising the Social Security Agency. I say this because a current Social Security consultation is proposing to close half of all Jobs and Benefits offices across Northern Ireland. They are proposing to centralise these services and to leave telephones (which we will have to pay to use) as the main means of communication for queries on claims. Proposals also suggest it will be private firms who are responsible for ESA Work Focused Interviews.

 

We are left to presume that these advisors will treat people sensitively and are professionally trained in all aspects of disability and know what is best for their clients. Social Welfare is a complex area and even people who have worked in it for years find it difficult to navigate. How on earth are call centre operators going to process claims and know what entitlements people are due?

 

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