Employment Support Allowance (ESA) is a vital source of income for people who have limited capability for work because of illness and disability, and offers practical support for people who might, with considerable support, be helped into work.
In 2008, Employment Support Allowance replaced Incapacity Benefit and Income Support for new claimants.
From April 2011 the Government started to migrate 1.6 million people claiming Incapacity Benefit over to ESA, forcing them to undergo a flawed medical assessment process - the Work Capability Assessment. This will lead to around 20 per cent of people failing the assessment and losing entitlement to ESA.