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Understanding ESA and How to Apply
Written by
Georgina, Founder of Purpl
Published on
September 21, 2024
Employment and Support Allowance is a benefit that helps people who have a disability or health condition that makes it hard for them to work. Employment support benefit will give you additional financial support while you’re unable to work and helps you get back to work if you’re able to in the future.
In This Article
- Types of Employment and Support Allowance
- Who is Eligible for the New Style ESA
- How to Apply for the New Style ESA
- What is a Work Capability Assessment?
- Understanding ESA Grouping
- How Long to get a Decision on ESA Claim
- How can I Appeal an ESA Decision?
- How Much ESA Benefit Will I Receive?
- Can I Work and Get ESA?
- What is a Periodic Review?
- Frequently Asked Questions
Types of Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
There are two types of ESA, these are based on the following:
- Contribution-based ESA: Based on your National Insurance (NI) contributions
- Income-related ESA: Based on your income and savings
Income-related ESA is currently being replaced by Universal Credit. The government began notifying people that they will move to Universal Credit in September 2024, the aim is for everyone to be transferred over by the end of December 2025.
You can apply for Universal Credit as well as the New Style ESA but your payments may be reduced.
Georgina’s Disability Saving Tips
The new style ESA is based on your National Insurance contributions and is not means-tested, so even if your household has savings it will not impact you receiving ESA payments as long as you meet the criteria.
Who is Eligible for the New Style ESA?
You can apply for the New Style Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) if you are under State Pension age and you have a disability or health condition that impacts how much you can work.
To be eligible for ESA benefit you need to meet the following criteria:
- Age: You must be over 16 and under the State Pension age
- Work Status: You cannot be receiving Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) or be in work that pays above a certain threshold (see ESA and Permitted Work article)
- Medical Condition: You must have a health condition or disability that limits your ability to work
You will also need to have been paying National Insurance or have paid enough contributions to qualify for receiving ESA:
- you have worked as an employee or have been self-employed
- you have paid enough National Insurance contributions within the last 2 to 3 years (this also includes National Insurance Credits)
You can check your National Insurance record for any gaps in your National Insurance payments.
Please note that if you receive Statutory Sick Pay from your employer you are not eligible to claim ESA support.
How to Apply for the New Style ESA?
The process for applying for Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) involves several stages, from submitting your application to having a medical assessment.
1. Gather Your Necessary Documents
You will need to supply information to help with your claim, this includes:
- Your National Insurance Number
- Your bank account number and sort code
- Your doctor’s details – name, address, telephone number etc
- A fit note from your doctor this is sometimes called a ‘sick note’ or a ‘statement of fitness for work’.
- Details of your income, if you’re working
- The date your Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) ends, if you receive it (you cannot get New Style ESA if you’re getting Statutory Sick Pay from an employer. You can apply for New Style ESA up to 3 months before your sick pay ends)
2. Submit Your Claim
- You can apply for ESA either:
- Online via the Government website
- By Phone: Call the Jobcentre Employment and Support Allowance helpline at 0800 055 6688
During this process, you will need to provide your personal, medical, and financial information as listed previously.
3. Complete an ESA50 Form (Limited Capability for Work Questionnaire)
- After your initial claim, you will be sent a ‘Capability for Work Questionnaire’ also referred as a ESA50 form. This is a more detailed questionnaire about how your health condition affects your ability to work and complete everyday activities.
- Please note that you may not receive this until 2-3 months after you have applied
- You must complete and return the form within four weeks, including any additional medical evidence.
- If you are late returning the form, there is a section where you can explain why and this will be taken into consideration.
- Some people will automatically receive Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) without the need of the form – for example: you are terminally ill with a year left to live – you can read more about this on the Citizen’s Advice website.
What is a Work Capability Assessment?
As part of the Employment and Support Allowance process, you will usually be asked to attend a Work Capability Assessment (WCA). This is a medical assessment to determine the extent of your health issues and how they affect your ability to work.
ESA Assessments can be in person or on a video/phone call. They will let you know in advance.
You can bring someone to attend the assessment with you, such as a friend or support worker. If your assessment is by phone or video call, you can ask the assessor to call them if they’re not with you when the assessment starts.
This normally takes place within 3 months of ESA50 form being returned
The work capability assessment is conducted by a healthcare professional who will ask questions and may perform physical or mental health assessments.
This is a points based system where they will report on how well you can carry out a range of activities, both physical and mental tasks.
Understanding ESA Groups
Based on the WCA (work capability assessment) results, you will be placed in one of two groups:
- Support Group: You won’t be expected to work or engage in work-related activities.
- Work-Related Activity Group (WRAG): You’ll be expected to engage in activities like job training or work preparation but not necessarily work.
For more information please visit The Disability Rights website
How Long to get a Decision on ESA Claim?
After the WCA assessment, you’ll receive a letter with the decision, this usually takes between 4-8 weeks after your assessment.
Your letter will tell you whether you are eligible for ESA disability support and which group you’ve been placed in, either the ESA Support Group or the ESA Work-Related Activity Group (WRAG).
How Can I Appeal an ESA Decision?
If you disagree with the decision that has been made about whether you are entitled to ESA benefits, you can request a Mandatory Reconsideration
Your case will be reconsidered
If you still don’t agree with the decision after the reconsideration, you can appeal to an independent tribunal. You must do this within one month of receiving the decision. For more information please visit the Government website
How Much ESA Benefit Will I Receive? (September 2024)
This depends on what stage your application is at, it also takes into consideration your age and the likelihood of you being able to return to work full.
With the New Style ESA you’ll earn Class 1 National Insurance credits, which will go towards your State Pension.
If you are eligible for Employment and Support Allowance ESA, you will receive payments as follows:
Prior to ESA Assessment
You will normally get the ‘assessment rate’ for 13 weeks while your claim is being assessed:
- up to £71.70 a week if you’re aged under 25
- up to £90.50 a week if you’re aged 25 or over
If it takes longer than 13 weeks for your ESA claim to be assessed, you will continue getting the assessment rate until you get a decision or until your Employment and Support Allowance is due to end.
Your ESA disability payment will be backdated if you are owed any extra money after 13 weeks.
After ESA Work Capability Assessment
This will depend on which ESA group you are assign to:
- up to £90.50 a week if you’re in the ESA work-related activity group
- up to £138.20 a week if you’re in the ESA support group
If you are in the ESA Support Group and received income related ESA
You will also be entitled to the enhanced disability premium, and potentially you could qualify for the severe disability premium. To find out more or to apply for a disability premium
ESA Payments will be made directly into your bank account every two weeks.
Can I Work and Receive ESA?
You can apply to do Permitted Work – for more information please read our article about ESA and Permitted Work so you understand the criteria for being approved.
If you want advice on how to find work when you are disabled then please read our Top Ten Tips for Finding Work when Disabled written by Evenbreak the disability recruitment specialists.
What is a Periodic Review?
You will be contacted for an employment benefit periodic review, this is to ensure you are still eligible for receiving ESA payments
Review are usually set between 6 and 36 months, dependent on your health condition / disability
Reassessments ensure the eligibility conditions for employment and support allowance (ESA) are still correct and that your group allocation is still appropriate
The whole process from application to receiving the final decision can take a few months so please be prepared.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a time limit for how long I can receive ESA benefit payments?
The New Style ESA lasts for 365 days if you’re in the work-related activity group. If you are put in the Support Group there is no time limit.
Can I claim ESA if I have money in savings?
The new style ESA is not means-tested, so your savings, income, or investments won’t affect whether you can claim it or how much you will receive. However, certain pension payments may affect it.
Can I work and claim ESA?
Yes but there is a limit on what you can do, this is called Permitted Work. You can read more about Permitted Work in our article ESA and Permitted Work
