Thought Id start this one going because its rather dead on this board at the moment and I suppose all my usual muckers are either at the Stella tennis event watching Dim Tim (lose again) or at Henly Regatta eating cucumber sandwiches (they wish,...NOT).

Anyway please feel free to just talk to yourself blast away and let it go on any company or subject you wish. Just wish Id thought of this one before.

cheers GF.

Where can I find the export's value and % of GDP of EU exports and imports to and from the UK?

Anybody, but I don't want dodgy figures.

Here we are..........basicaly it means a transfer from those found fit to work to those found unfit for work and therefore placed on ESA and in the WRAG and SUPPORT group, in other words on the sick rather than unemployed something which Maggie did with Incapacity Benefit which she created as an alternative lifestyle, and now just watch the figures sneekily move up on ESA which as been already happening.

More claimants are being awarded ESA
Created on Monday, 27 January 2014 13:50
Category: Latest news

The DWP’s latest statistics for employment and support allowance (ESA) which cover the period from January 2013 up to the end of March 2013, show that the percentage of people being found unfit for work and the percentage being placed in the support group continue to rise, in spite of government claims to the contrary. The statistics also show that a shocking 27% are still waiting for a decision a year after their claim or reassessment began.

One of the most striking things about these statistics is the huge increase in those who are awarded ESA against those found fit for work.

In 2008, 36% were awarded ESA, but by the end of 2011 this rose to 51% and at the end of March 2013, this figure has leapt to 61%. (THATCHER ALL OVER AGAIN)

Also worth noting is the increase in the percentage of those placed in the Support Group after assessment.

Initially the Government anticipated that only 12% of claimants would meet the eligibility criteria. On this basis, Atos set its targets and defined the performance criteria for its healthcare professionals.

The increasing numbers of those placed in this group is clear: In 2008 this equated to 12% of ESA claimants, which didn’t change dramatically until the period from January 2011, since when it has steadily increased.

The figures for the quarter to end March 2013 show that 39% of ESA claimants are in the support group.



New claims January to March 2013

These outcomes exclude the effect of appeals.

Percentage differences are compared to the previous quarter’s statistics.

38% of claimants have had an outcome – i.e. a decision made following assessment

Of those:

61% were awarded ESA (up 4%) and

39% were deemed Fit for Work and not entitled to ESA (down 4%)

Of the 61% awarded ESA,:

23% were placed in the work-related activity group (WRAG) (down by 2%) and

39% placed into support group (an increase of 6%)

35% had their claim closed before having a face to face assessment.

The DWP carried out some research into the reasons for claims being closed and believes that most of these claimants were sick for shorter periods of time and became well again before the assessment process was completed, so went back into paid work or claimed another benefit more suitable to their situation.

27% of claimants were still undergoing assessment

Completed assessments April to June 2013
In contrast, the DWP has produced information about completed assessments (as opposed to new claims) carried out during the period April 2013 to June 2013:

59% were awarded ESA (up 5%) and of those

25% were placed in WRAG (up by 1%) and

35% were put in support group (an increase of 5%)

41% were assessed as fit for work (decrease of 5%)

Appeals
37% of claimants who were found fit for work during the period January to March 2013 have appealed against the decision.

The figures on outcomes of those appeals are not yet available.

The latest figures available from the Courts & Tribunals Service show that, for the period July 2012 to September 2012, there was a decrease by 5% in successful appeals. The DWP advises caution in interpreting this information, as so many appeals at that time were still outstanding.

Further information is included in the report, where figures have been adjusted to take account of the appeals outcomes that are known for the period January to March 2013, but again caution is advised, as many more appeals have yet to be decided.

Repeat assessments
Of the total number of claims that went through a reassessment during the period April to June 2013, 22% were previously receiving Incapacity Benefit and had already been migrated onto ESA.

On reassessment in the April to June period, 84% were awarded ESA: 37% were placed in WRAG, 47% were placed in Support Group and the remaining 16% were found fit for work.

This contrasts with the previous quarter’s figures (January to March 2013) which show that 90% were awarded ESA, 32% being placed in WRAG and 57% in Support Group; 10% were found fit for work.

Overall, more claims decided on reassessment that were previous Incapacity Benefit claims, were successfully awarded ESA, than for new claims. The DWP believes this is likely to be due to more of those claimants having multiple, longer term and more complex health problems.

One of the most striking things about these statistics is the huge increase in those who are awarded ESA against those found fit for work.

In 2008, 36% were awarded ESA, but by the end of 2011 this rose to 51% and at the end of March 2013, this figure has leapt to 61%. (THATCHER ALL OVER AGAIN)

Doesnt look good for the Tories here on this chart especially NHS and unemployment......

electionista ‏@electionista 1h
UK - Ipsos MORI poll - most important issues facing Britain according to voters.......

This thread is getting very boring now , taking the piss out of those two clowns Fred and Stan is not worth the effort anymore.

Ahhhhhh but alders you should be looking closely at this fiddle on unemployment going on under your very nose.

This is what Thatcher did to camouflage the unemployed in this country and its happening again.

Figures are put together by Courts & Tribunals Service but we all know who administers the system IDS closely followed by Sir Giddeon and Fat Dave.

That article doesn't suggest that unemployed are being moved into the sick list. It implies people applying for disability being put on ESA.

ESA is the old income support ie, used for topping up Incapacity Benefit.

Nice try Hays.

Read WRAG and SUPPORT and then youl get your facts right.

I don't see the connection to lower unemployment figures.

Should have gone to SPECSAVERS then.

Couldnt be clearer, a transfer away from unemployment figures to sick figures, exactly what Thatcher did to con the electorate.

And it will increase as we move forward to the General Election just as it did under Maggie.

By the way them figures presented above from the Court and Tribunal Service werent released until 2 days after IDS speech and the Unemployment figures released.

In fact they were only released to pro Bodies, wether they have leaked into the general community now Im not sure but certainly questions will be raised and asked.

R Reeves as a copy now.

Cyners as gone very quite. I wonder why.

Right off to watch UTD, just a MATA before we start climbing up the league again.

Then another full night shift getting tax returns in before the 31st. Wish I didnt worry like some folk. Often wonder if they are living on this planet.

Not convinced.

LOL.

Dont you mean you dont understand how this could happen under a Tory Government.

sticky - an awful lot of questionable stats there (e.g. open to interpretation), but if i have read that correctly, if you are awarded (not quite the right word it has to be admitted) an ESA, then quite rightly you come off the unemployment register - though elsewhere i am sure you have told us about how difficult it is to get ESA (with which i concur, at least partially)

however, is not a key question as to what WRAG is actually defined as

all those stats really are awfully messy and confusing, as indeed i am sure they are meant to be - not through you it has to be said

where you and i agree, at least to some extent, is the number of people in part-time work
i would maintain that part-time is most assuredly better than no-time, and further it should not be forgotten that there are at least a significant number of people who are unwilling to work more than 16 hours a week, because it affects the level of benefit that they can claim

==============

anyway, if the economy is genuinely improving, which i would categorically say that it is, albeit more slowly north of watford (can't be helped; it just is so), then slowly but surely there will be an increase in the number of (proper) job vacancies .... whether or not those who are very comfortable on benefits + a bit of cash-in-hand work would be happy to apply or even take such work is another matter altogether

==============

i only went quiet because i went to the gym, went back to the office for an hour or so, came home and made the dinner - and only then, because the other option was even worse (corrie or something) - switched on my pc :-)

The increase in employment and consequently the reduction in unemployment is real. The increase in employment is 75% full time.

75% of what?

of the increase.

Yes they did, they created a business atmosphere in which thousands of new jobs were created.
bet that doesn't stand up to the most minimal of scrutiny .... have you forgotten how the economy plummetted, and though the loss of jobs lagged, as does the re-creation of same, the consequences of GB's policies were disastrous

Fact is Tories are in power and transfering people from unemployment to sickness benefits so as to make the employment figures look better just as did Thatcher.

The figures above I admit are a little complex for the lay man but its the truth, for god sake this is a government department that as produced them.

Are you really questioning the part Thatcher played in creating Incapacity Benefit as an alternative life style.

Thats where it all began. Thats why we have never recovered.

She changed and industrial nation into a nation of Services.

Its not a case of part time or full time.

The truth is set in stone above and it will get worse.

No need to blame Labour Cyners the Tories are in their fourth year of government. Its too easy to pass the buck.