If you currently receive Incapacity Benefit and have been sent an form IB50 to complete (you will find the reference number on the bottom of the form). If you also get the "Higher Rate" allowance for personal care of Disability Living Allowance.

You should be aware of Statutory Instrument 1995 No 311. The Social Security (Incapacity for Work)(General) regulations 1995. Part II - General Provisions Relating to Incapacity for Work.

You are exempt from this process and do not have to fill in the form. Telephone your DWP office and ask them why? you have been sent this.

"CHAPTER III

PERSONS TREATED AS INCAPABLE

Certain persons with a severe condition to be treated as incapable of work

          10.—(1)  A person shall be treated as incapable of work on any day on which any of the circumstances set out in paragraph (2) apply to him.

          (2)  The circumstances are—

             (a) that he is in receipt of the highest rate care component of disability living allowance;

             (b) that he is suffering from a progressive disease and his death in consequence of that disease can reasonably be expected within 6 months;

             (c) that he is a blind person whose name is on a register compiled and maintained by a local authority under section 29 of the National Assistance Act 1948[7] (welfare services) or, in Scotland, has been certified as blind and in consequence is registered as blind in a register maintained by or on behalf of a regional or islands council;

             (d) that he is suffering from any of the following conditions—

                   (i) tetraplegia;

                   (ii) persistent vegetative state;

                   (iii) dementia;

                   (iv) paraplegia or uncontrollable involuntary movements or ataxia which effectively renders the sufferer functionally paraplegic; 

             (e) that a doctor approved by the Secretary of State has certified that he is suffering from any of the following conditions—

                   (i) a severe learning disability (which, for the purposes of this regulation, means a condition which results from the arrested or incomplete physical development of the brain, or severe damage to the brain, and which involves severe impairment of intelligence and social functioning);

                   (ii) a severe and progressive neurological and muscle wasting disease;

                   (iii) an active and progressive form of inflammatory polyarthritis;

                   (iv) a progressive impairment of cardio-respiratory function which severely and persistently limits effort tolerance;

                   (v) dense paralysis of the upper limb, trunk and lower limb on one side of the body;

                   (vi) multiple effects of impairment of function of the brain or nervous system causing severe and irreversible motor, sensory and intellectual deficits;

                   (vii) a severe and progressive immune deficiency state characterised by the occurrence of opportunistic infections or tumour formation;

                   (viii) a severe mental illness. "

Note at time of writing the process for migration is not clear - If you are have received a form ESA50 this is likely for migration from Incapacity Benefit to Employment & Support Allowance and the ABOVE exemption doesn't apply.

Those under 25 years of age will be migrated during 2009 from Incapacity Benefit to ESA with those over 25 years old from 2010 onwards.