What is the work-related activity group (WRAG)?

If the DWP decides you can’t work but can do ‘work-related activity’, they will put you in the work-related activity group (WRAG) of Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) or you will get the ‘limited capability for work’ element of Universal Credit (UC).  

In the WRAG, you may have already joined the Work Programme and this will include ‘work-focused interviews’. At the interviews, you could talk about:

• The type of work you would like to do,
• What is stopping you from getting back to work,
• How you could deal with things that stop you,
• Training courses you could go on, or
• Help with writing your CV.

After your work-focused interview, they will give you an action plan explaining what you have agreed to do and this action plan should take into account your mental health condition.

Being in the WRAG is not the same as being on Jobseeker’s Allowance, as if you do not get a job whilst in the WRAG, your benefit will not be stopped.

Your money could be reduced or stopped if you don’t take part in work-focused interviews without good reason, so you should tell your personal adviser if you can’t go to an appointment as soon as you know.