From 27 October 2008 Employment and Support Allowance replaces Incapacity Benefit and Income Support paid on incapacity grounds for new customers.
The principle of Employment and Support Allowance is that everyone should have the opportunity to work and that people with an illness or disability should get the support they need to engage in appropriate work, if they are able.
If you need support from an advocate just apply and a local and appropriate service will be found to help you. Advocacy Finder Helpline: 08451 22 86 33
PatientView is an independent, global, research-and-publishing organisation that works closely with patients and health and social campaigning groups worldwide.
Your health, your choices. All you need to know about health choices.
Our first annual Involvement to Impact Conference was held in November 2007 in London. We had a great turn out and it was good to see so many people excited about involvement and interested in how we can better implement service changes based on public views. View a video of the highlights of these 2 days on this page.
The Fit for the Future consultation website where you can find out about our proposals to make local health care fit for the 21st Century.
There are a number of way patients, members of the public, staff and stakeholders can get involved in the Our NHS, our future review:
Our Future, the NHS Next Stage Review aka the Darzi Report
The Department provides benefits and services for a wide range of people.
Go to A-Z for specific information about available benefits.
Notes for talk given at Worthing Meeting 23rd Oct 2007 together with appropriate telephone numbers to contact
The Citizens Advice Bureau are working in partnership with WSCC to make sure pensioners don’t miss out on pension credit or attendance allowance. They now have a dedicated advisor at the bureau on a Monday who can advise on eligibility for both of these benefits.
Care Services Improvement Partnership
This is a very informative site about benefits giving guides about disability living allowance, attendance allowance, incapacity benefit & employment. Plus training, news and forums for people with long-term health conditions.
Queen Elizabeth’s Foundation encourages and enables adults with disabilities to increase independence and improve life skills. The Foundation’s aim is to ensure that all adults in the United Kingdom with disabilities can access the training and support required to achieve their goals.
Which Methods are Valid For Evaluating Disability? Lecture by Richard N. Podell, M.D. Includes full text of lecture and PowerPoint Slide Show
Is a new not-for-profit organisation that aims to create a national database to match the needs of individual customer needs. The aim is to develop the earning potential of disabled individuals by offering increased awareness of the skills, abilities and worth of disabled workers throughout the country. To find out more visit their website (link above)or email admin@disabledworkers.org.uk
Europe's most visited disabilities information site with over seven million visitors.
Help and advice on job hunting and extra support. Help and advice on making a claim for benefit.
Disability Alliance is regarded as the leading authority on social security benefits for disabled people. You can use this site to find regularly updated information about benefits, tax credits, community care as well as disability related campaigns and parliamentary news.
AbilityNet Help people with disabilities with advice, factsheets, assessments, training and assistive technology.
MediChecks.com offer professional and confidential Health Services to individuals and companies in the UK and Europe. Medicheck do various Blood Tests and Diagnostic Tests and have a valuable source of medical information.
The fastest way to reach organisations across East Sussex, Brighton & Hove
Raising awareness of disability issues and shopmobility in Bognor Regis, Littlehampton, Worthing and the South Coast
Produce a useful informative magazine 'The Enabler' that covers a wide range of topics. Provide benefits advice & information on Access and Mobility Groups throughout West Sussex. Phone 01243 841400 or send an e-mail.
The purpose of Direct Payments is to give recipients control over their own life by providing an alternative to social care by a local council.
Putting YOU in control. People who are frail or living with an illness or disability may need help to be independent in their daily lives. For many people in West Sussex the county council provides money to pay for social care services that can help.
Our aim is to ensure that disabled people have the information that they need to have choice and equality of opportunity in their daily lives. To achieve this we provide information services, and develop resources and networks.
The Federation works to promote independence and dignity for all people with disabilities and to identify gaps when services are being planned and developed.
New measures to tackle abuse of the Blue Badge Scheme for disabled people came into force on 29 September 2006. Police, traffic wardens, local authority parking attendants and civil enforcement officers are empowered to inspect blue badges as part of their other parking enforcement functions.
The West Sussex Healthy Homes Partnership meets challenging targets to lift more people out of fuel poverty and to improve the energy efficiency ratings of homes of vulnerable people in West Sussex.
Some useful contacts for advice on disability
Buy-at the FMS SAS on-line shop.
Employment and Support Allowance
Advocacy Resource Exchange
Patient View
NHS Choices
The NHS Centre for Involvement
The Government Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) 
Disability and Carers Service Benefits 2007-2008 rates
Citizens Advice Bureau & WSCC offer help with Pensions Credit & Attendance Allowance
The Department of Health Documents 
Benefits and Work
Queen Elizabeth Foundation
Disability Claims For Fibromyalgia and CFS
Disabled Workers Co-operative
Disability UK
Jobcentre Plus
Disability Alliance
AbilityNet
East Sussex Community Information Service
Direct Payment
Individual Budgets
Social Information on Disability
The Brighton & Hove Federation of Disabled People