New style esa when to claim?

You must apply by phone if you're an appointee applying on behalf of someone else. You cannot get New Style ESA if you're getting Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) from an employer. You can apply for New Style ESA up to 3 months before your SSP ends.

If you are ill or have a health condition or disability that limits your ability to work you may be able to get New Style Employment and Support Allowance (ESA).

New Style ESA is a fortnightly payment that can be claimed on its own or at the same time as Universal Credit (UC). If you get both benefits, your Universal Credit payment is reduced by the amount you get for New Style ESA.

New Style ESA is a contributory benefit. Normally, this means you may be able to get it if you’ve paid or been credited with enough National Insurance contributions in the 2 full tax years before the year you’re claiming in.

Your (or your partner’s) savings will not affect how much New Style ESA you’re paid. If your partner works, it does not affect your claim.

Most income is not taken into account (but a personal pension can affect the amount you may receive).

While you receive New Style ESA you’ll earn Class 1 National Insurance credits, which can help towards your State Pension and other contributory benefits in the future.

It is a regular fortnightly payment.

This table shows what you may be able to claim depending on your circumstances.

To get New Style ESA you usually need to have been working within the last 2 to 3 years, and have made (or been credited with) Class 1 or Class 2 National Insurance contributions.

This can be through employment or self–employment.

If you’re not sure how much National Insurance you’ve paid, you can check your National Insurance record online.

You can apply for New Style ESA online.

You’ll need:

You must apply by phone if you’re an appointee applying on behalf of someone else.

Apply now

Call the Jobcentre Plus new claims helpline if:

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) will contact you within 10 working days of applying.

DWP will contact you within 10 working days to schedule an appointment that you must attend. It will normally be over the phone with a work coach from your local Jobcentre Plus office.

Your work coach will explain what you need to do to get New Style ESA. They will create an agreement with you called a ‘Claimant Commitment’.

You must agree to your ‘Claimant Commitment’ before you can get New Style ESA.

At the appointment, you’ll be asked to:

DWP will send you a letter within 10 working days of applying to explain why you’re not eligible for ESA.

You must fill in the ‘Capability for work questionnaire’ and send it to the Health Assessment Advisory Service. The address is on the form. The questionnaire is different in Northern Ireland.

You’ll be told what happens next, for example if you need an appointment to understand your health condition better.

A Work Capability Assessment is used to find out if your illness or disability affects how much you can work.

If you need a Work Capability Assessment you’ll get a letter telling you what to do.

You might not need one, for example if you’re in hospital or you have been told by a medical professional that you might have less than 12 months to live.

If you’re claiming both Universal Credit and New Style ESA, you’ll only have one Work Capability Assessment.

You can ask for your assessment to be recorded. If you would like this, tell the Health Assessment Advisory Service using the contact details in your appointment invite letter.

Assessments can be in person, by video call or on the phone. You’ll be told how your assessment will take place.

If you’re asked to attend in person you’ll be told how to do this safely because of coronavirus (COVID-19).

You can have someone else with you at your assessment, for example a friend or support worker. If your assessment is by video call or on the phone, you can ask the assessor to call the person if they’re not with you when the assessment starts.

You’ll stay on the ‘assessment rate’ until a decision can be made on your Work Capability Assessment.

If you’re entitled to ESA you’ll be placed in one of 2 groups:

You will:

You must attend regular interviews with a work coach. They can help you improve your skills or write a CV to help you get back into work.

You’re usually in this group if your illness or disability severely limits what you can do. You do not have to go to interviews. You can tell your work coach if you’d like to take part in work-related activities.

New Style ESA lasts for 365 days if you’re in the work-related activity group.

There’s no time limit if you’re in the support group.

To keep getting ESA you must report any change in your circumstances. You may also need to send fit notes regularly.

Your ESA can be reduced if you do not attend interviews or do work-related activity as agreed with your work coach in your ‘Claimant Commitment’. This reduction can continue for up to 4 weeks after you restart work-related activities.

You’ll get a letter to say you may be sanctioned. Tell your work coach if you have a good reason for not doing what was agreed in your ‘Claimant Commitment’.

You’ll get another letter if the decision is made to give you a sanction. Your benefit will only be affected once a decision has been made.

You should contact your local council immediately if you claim Housing Benefit or Council Tax Reduction. They’ll tell you what to do to continue getting support.

If you get a sanction you can ask for the decision to be looked at again.

You will not get a sanction if you’re in the support group.

You cannot now claim income-related ESA unless you are already getting contributory ESA. You must claim universal credit instead.

Who can get 'new style' ESA?

'New style' ESA contributory conditions

ESA support group and work-related activity group

How to claim 'new style' ESA

Fit notes

How much is 'new style' ESA?

Assessment phase (per week)

Main phase (per week)

Benefit cap

'New style' ESA in hospital

Find out more

You can get 'new style' ESA if your ability to work is limited by ill health or disability.

You must:

If you are a student (full time or part time), you can claim 'new style' ESA if you satisfy all of these rules.

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You need to have paid enough national insurance contributions in certain tax years to be entitled to 'new style' ESA - the tax years depend on your claim date and are worked out for you when you claim.

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Support group - If it is decided at the work capability assessment that you have a limited capability for work-related activity, you will be put in the support group of claimants. If you are put in this group, you will not have to take part in work-related activities (although you can volunteer to do so if you want).

You will get a higher rate of ESA than claimants who are put in the work-related activity group. If you are getting 'new style' ESA, it can be paid indefinitely (as long as you continue to meet the qualifying rules and you remain in the support group).

Work-related activity group - If it is decided at the work capability assessment that you do not have a limited capability for work-related activity, you will be placed in the work-related activity group. In this group, you must meet work-related conditions. If you fail to meet the conditions, a sanction may be applied.

You will get a lower rate of ESA than claimants who are put in the support group. If you are getting 'new style' ESA, the award of this will be limited to just 12 months.

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You can claim 'new style' ESA online.

If you cannot apply online, you can call 0800 055 6688 (textphone: 0800 328 1344; Relay UK - if you cannot hear or speak on the phone: 18001 then 0800 055 6688). It can take several minutes to get through.

If you are deaf and use British Sign Language, you may be able to claim using a video relay service.

To claim ESA in Northern Ireland, call 0800 085 6318 (textphone: 0800 328 3419) or download a claim form.

For anyone who cannot claim for themselves because of mental incapacity, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) can appoint someone to act on their behalf.

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For the first seven days of any period of limited capability for work, you do not need a medical certificate (the fit note). Once you have had a limited capability for work for more than seven days, you must normally provide the DWP with a fit note from your doctor.

If you work for an employer and do not get statutory sick pay (or it is ending), you will also need to provide the DWP with form SSP1 (which you get from your employer) as well as a fit note from the first day of your claim.

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'New style' ESA is a flat-rate benefit. It is not affected by any savings or other income you have, except for occupational or personal pensions. Unless you are put in the support group, payment of 'new style' ESA is limited to 12 months.

The rates given below apply from 10 April 2023.

For the first 13 weeks of your claim, the ‘assessment phase’, you are paid the basic allowance. This depends on your age:

Aged under 25 years - £67.20

Aged 25 years and over - £84.80

Once you have undergone the work capability assessment and have been found to have a limited capability for work, you will move onto ‘main phase’ ESA. With this, you will get the basic allowance, plus a ‘support component’ if you are put in the support group

Basic allowance - £84.80

Support component - £44.70

If you get an occupational or personal pension that pays more than £85 a week, your 'new style' ESA will be reduced by half of the amount over this limit.

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'New style' ESA is included in the list of benefits to which the benefit cap applies. This cap limits the total weekly benefits that can be paid.

The cap will not apply if you have been placed in the support group

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'New style' ESA is paid for an indefinite period as long as the other qualifying conditions are met.

ESA can continue to be paid during a temporary absence abroad for the purpose of receiving NHS hospital treatment.

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