From today, thousands of disabled people claiming Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) - a benefit for those unable to work due to illness or disability - will lose their benefit as a one year time limit comes into force, warns Leonard Cheshire Disability.

This will see people who have been classed as ‘unfit for work’ by the Government lose out on up to £99.15 per week.

Shaun Williams, director of corporate affairs at Leonard Cheshire Disability said: “ESA is only paid to people who have been assessed by an independent medical professional as unable to work due to ill health or disability. It is completely unjust to put a time limit on this support for disabled people, many of whom want to work but are unable to do so.

“We are deeply concerned about the impact that time limiting will have on disabled people. Thousands of people will struggle to find a job within this time frame - the Department for Work and Pension’s own research suggests that of those on ESA and in the Work Related Activity Group, 94% will take longer than a year to find work.

“Over the next three years, as many as 700,000 people could be adversely affected by limiting contributory ESA. Disabled people are already twice as likely to live in poverty as non disabled people. Taking away this vital support runs the risk of pushing even more people into poverty and debt.”

This change will affect disabled people who receive ESA based on their national insurance contributions and who have been placed in the Work Related Activity Group of ESA (as opposed to the Support Group).

It will mean that those who made their claim in April 2011 or earlier will lose up to £99.15 per week.

Those who made their claim after this date will lose the same amount when their one year time limit comes to an end.

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