Am I able to get the Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)?

There are three types of ESA; 

• ‘New style’ ESA – Awarded if you’re entitled to claim Universal Credit
• Contributory ESA – Awarded if you’ve paid enough National Insurance contributions
• Income-related ESA – Awarded on its own or on top of contributory ESA if you’re on a low income

Contributory ESA is not means tested.

All types of ESA provide financial support if you’re unable to work and personalised help so that you can work if you’re able to.

You can apply for Employment and Support Allowance if you’re employed, self-employed or unemployed.

You might be transferred to ESA if you’ve been claiming other benefits like Income Support or Incapacity Benefit.

If you claim Employment and Support Allowance you must have a Work Capability Assessment to see to what extent your illness or disability affects your ability to work.

You’ll be placed in one of two groups if found to be entitled to ESA:

• Work-related activity group where you’ll have regular interviews with an adviser
• Support group, where you do not have interviews

Usually, for 13 weeks after your claim, you’ll get the assessment rate:

• Up to £57.90 a week if you’re aged under 25
• Up to £73.10 a week if you’re aged 25 or over

After that, if you’re entitled to ESA you’ll be paced in one of 2 groups and will receive:

• Up to £73.10 a week if you’re in the work-related activity group
• Up to £110.75 a week if you’re in the support group*

*Rates apply from April 2018 to April 2019 and are usually paid every four weeks

If you’re in the support group and on income-related ESA, you’re also entitled to the enhanced disability premium at £16.40 a week.

If the assessment takes longer than 13 weeks, your benefit will be backdated to the 14th week of the claim.

The benefit cap limits the amount of benefit that most people aged 16 to 64 can get. Some individual benefits are not affected, but it may change the total amount of benefit you get. The cap will not affect you if you’re in the support group.

You may get ESA if your illness or disability affects your ability to work and you’re:

• Under State Pension age
• Not getting Statutory Sick Pay or Statutory maternity pay and you have not gone back to work
• Not getting Jobseeker’s Allowance

Use a benefits calculator to check if you can get Employment and Support Allowance or Universal Credit before you apply.

The quickest way to apply for ESA is by phone, and the number you call depends on which types of ESA you’re applying for.

After you phone, you’ll need to send a fit note (sometimes called ‘sick note’ or ‘doctor’s note’) to the ESA service.