Welfare benefit problems surge - Citizens Advice

Sickness and disability benefit claims problems are seeing a huge surge in volumes, according to the Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB).

And the consumer support group believes the trend is only set to grow thanks to a "flawed" and "crude" system.

New figures released by the CAB show that during the three months of April to June, its offices across England and Wales dealt with a 77% increase in problems relating to the Employment and Support Allowance (ESA).

Enquiries about the state benefit rose to 45,257 (from 25,528 during the same period last year), but it was not the only one to increase public concerns.

Disability Living Allowance (DLA) and Carers Allowance enquires also grew by 11% to 108,742 (from 98,380), and 17% to 13,488 (from 11,558) respectively.

It appears likely DLA enquiries will continue to rise in the coming years after plans to medically assess all claimants from 2013 were announced by Chancellor George Osborne in the June budget.

Gillian Guy, chief executive at Citizens Advice, has been concerned about the new ESA benefit since its introduction.

"Since ESA was introduced in October 2008, we have been monitoring its impact," she says.

"We have previously published reports expressing our concern about poor knowledge of ESA rules among Jobcentre Plus and Department of Work and Pensions medical staff, inadequate administration systems and the crude nature of the work capability assessment. This autumn, claimants on the old Incapacity Benefit will switch to ESA.

"With so many flaws in the current system we predict the number of people who come to us for advice on this benefit will only continue to increase," she adds.

Overall, enquires to CAB about benefits and tax credits rose 6% to more than half a million (517,956), second only to debt problems.