Two follow-ups from the final reviews of #2031, which applies the income-related ESA and income-based JSA remunerative work conditions. Neither was in that PR's scope.
1. The 16 to 19 Bursary Fund own-right ESA signal reads raw reports
bursary_fund_16_to_19_receives_uc_or_esa_in_own_right returns true when esa_income_reported + esa_contrib_reported > 0; bursary_fund_16_to_19_vulnerable_group_eligible reads it. Its documentation calls this a reported-benefit proxy.
After #2031, a reported income-related ESA award can be screened to nil, by the capital test or by the claimant's own remunerative work. The proxy still treats that report as receipt. Synthetic example: an England student aged 17 in qualifying education, with PIP, £3,000 of reported income-related ESA and £20,000 of pay keeps the signal, while the screened status is_on_income_related_esa is false.
Possible fix: read income-related ESA receipt from is_on_income_related_esa, which is payable-to-them status (HB Regs 2006 reg 2(3A)), and contributory ESA from its own variable. Keep the explicit input.
2. One screen decides a benefit unit's whole award, including reports by members outside the couple
esa_income and jsa_income are income_related_*_award(benunit, period, <all reports>). That is the value rule #2025 and #2027 rely on, so they apply one benefit-unit screen (esa_income_eligible, jsa_income_eligible) to every report. When the claimant or partner reports, only they are tested. A report by a member outside the couple, such as a non-dependent adult entered in the same benefit unit, is then paid or not with the claimant's claim:
- a working outside member's report counts in
esa_income when the claimant passes;
- a non-working outside member's report is dropped when the claimant fails.
Their person status (is_on_income_related_esa, is_on_income_based_jsa) is tested on their own claim since #2031, so passports follow the law. Only the benefit unit's total, and so household income, is affected.
No Enhanced FRS record in 2025-2030 has anyone outside the couple reporting either award, so survey results are unaffected. The issue arises only in situations entered by hand.
A fix would pay each outside member's own award on its own screen and keep the couple's award on the couple's screen. Whatever replaces the value rule in claimant_or_partner_*_income and income_support_eligible must still recognise the formula's own result.
Two follow-ups from the final reviews of #2031, which applies the income-related ESA and income-based JSA remunerative work conditions. Neither was in that PR's scope.
1. The 16 to 19 Bursary Fund own-right ESA signal reads raw reports
bursary_fund_16_to_19_receives_uc_or_esa_in_own_rightreturns true whenesa_income_reported + esa_contrib_reported > 0;bursary_fund_16_to_19_vulnerable_group_eligiblereads it. Its documentation calls this a reported-benefit proxy.After #2031, a reported income-related ESA award can be screened to nil, by the capital test or by the claimant's own remunerative work. The proxy still treats that report as receipt. Synthetic example: an England student aged 17 in qualifying education, with PIP, £3,000 of reported income-related ESA and £20,000 of pay keeps the signal, while the screened status
is_on_income_related_esais false.Possible fix: read income-related ESA receipt from
is_on_income_related_esa, which is payable-to-them status (HB Regs 2006 reg 2(3A)), and contributory ESA from its own variable. Keep the explicit input.2. One screen decides a benefit unit's whole award, including reports by members outside the couple
esa_incomeandjsa_incomeareincome_related_*_award(benunit, period, <all reports>). That is the value rule #2025 and #2027 rely on, so they apply one benefit-unit screen (esa_income_eligible,jsa_income_eligible) to every report. When the claimant or partner reports, only they are tested. A report by a member outside the couple, such as a non-dependent adult entered in the same benefit unit, is then paid or not with the claimant's claim:esa_incomewhen the claimant passes;Their person status (
is_on_income_related_esa,is_on_income_based_jsa) is tested on their own claim since #2031, so passports follow the law. Only the benefit unit's total, and so household income, is affected.No Enhanced FRS record in 2025-2030 has anyone outside the couple reporting either award, so survey results are unaffected. The issue arises only in situations entered by hand.
A fix would pay each outside member's own award on its own screen and keep the couple's award on the couple's screen. Whatever replaces the value rule in
claimant_or_partner_*_incomeandincome_support_eligiblemust still recognise the formula's own result.