Employment Support Allowance (ESA) is for those who have a disability or health condition that affects their ability to work. This isn’t just limited to those who are fully unable to work but also includes those who can only work a limited number of hours due to their disability or health condition.
Criteria
You may be eligible for employment support allowance if you have a disability or health condition that that affects how much you can work and you meet the following criteria:
- You are under state pension age
- You have worked as an employee or been self employed previously
- You have paid enough national insurance contributions
You may be able to earn universal credit as well as or instead of ESA.
How much is it worth?
If your claim is successful the amount you receive will be dependant on a multitude of factors such as age, what stage of the process your application is on and whether you are able to get back into work. You will also receive an assessment rate while your claim is being processed. Once your application is processed you will be put into one of two groups and can receive anything up to the maximum amount as seen below.
| Group | Maximum Amount (per 2 weeks) |
|---|---|
| Work related activity group | £185.10 |
| Support group | £281.10 |
How to apply
You can apply online using the government website. If you cannot apply online for whatever reason or are applying on behalf of someone else, you can call the job centre plus new claims hotline at 0800 055 6688.
Need more information?
Do you need more information regarding Employment Support Allowance? The following links will take you to the government and RNIB websites.
Government website
https://www.gov.uk/employment-support-allowance
RNIB website
