Careering Opportunities

I received another letter from the DWP/Jobcentreplus today, less than 24hrs after I received my notification of being 'capable for work'.
I often hear about tardiness and bureaucratic minefields within the public sector, but I have to say their administration department is bang on the money at the moment!
Well done DWP!

Having reassured me that I will still receive contribution-based ESA at a slightly lower rate than before, this follow-up letter pointed out that this will be for a period of 12 months MAXIMUM.
Dave & Nick hope to have the new Welfare Reform Bill passed in April 2012, and any of those work-shy 'bad-back brigade' who have already claimed 12months c-b ESA, will INSTANTLY have their benefit stopped.
I bet a few of them will be back playing Sunday Football before long!
(Let's hope their previous employer has had the good sense to keep their old job open).

According to the Comprehensive Spending Review, when all of the c-b ESA lot are off the benefits, myself included, £2Billion will be recouped for the Great British purse.
The target is £7Billion by 2015, but if we manage to reduce the population through starvation & hypothermia (see The Reduced DWP/Jobcentreplus Company blog), then a 50% tax on high-earners may no longer be a necessity.

I'm not sure what I want to do when I leave benefits.
I will need to have a meeting with my Personal Adviser (see previous blog).
Like most men of my age, I'd quite like to be a professional footballer, but there are very few vacancies at present.
If I don't join the Army, I'll probably try and train as a lawyer.

The fact that I now know my time on c-b ESA is limited, it gives me and other other people with similar chronic illness something to aim for.
I'd be lying if I said I wasn't just a little bit excited.
I might double-drop my distalgesics in celebration!

The key point is that after April 2012 400,000 people or so, who, ex hypothesi, have passed the new Work Capability Assessment and who have paid National Insurance Contributions during their working life, will get no state support in their incapacity.
rightsnet.org.uk