Early day motion tabled by primary sponsor Roger Mullin (Scottish National Party), on Thursday, 23 March 2017, in the House of Commons. It is signed by 26 members in total.

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TRANSITIONING FROM ESA TO JSA

That this House commends the People's Assembly Fife on its report on transition from ESA to JSA; understands that volunteers from the People's Assembly Fife undertook a project over the course of 2016 aimed at advising people who faced benefit sanctions and that this involved speaking to claimants at Kirkcaldy Jobcentre Plus who were transitioning to jobseeker's allowance (JSA) after failing the work capability assessment (WCA); further understands that, according to the report, volunteers spoke to approximately 400 people, of whom 25 per cent were transitioning from employment and support allowance (ESA) to JSA after failing the WCA; notes that the report found very significant gaps in time between claimants receiving their last ESA payment and their first JSA payment and that most were still waiting for their claim to be processed; further notes, from the report, that claimants said they had been waiting for as long as 12 weeks to receive a JSA payment, that most claimants had no other source of income, and that some said that they were begging or relying on family members or the local foodbank for food, and that none of the claimants spoken to by volunteers were aware that they could request an advance payment; and considers it imperative that the Government should ensure that the transition from ESA to JSA is seamless and that claimants should not be left without any source of income while transitioning between the two benefits.

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Secondary information

Type

Early day motion

Reference

1108 

Session

2016-17

Other sponsors

Mark Durkan

Stewart Malcolm McDonald

Natalie McGarry

Brendan O'Hara

Alison Thewliss

Subjects

Jobseeker's allowance Payments Transitional arrangements Employment and support allowance

Link

View this Early day motion on www.parliament.uk