People with health conditions are being encouraged to check whether they may be eligible for a support payment from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). New Style Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) is available to people who have a health condition or disability that limits their ability to work.
In order to be eligible you have to have worked as an employee or been self-employed and paid enough National Insurance contributions, usually in the last two to three years. New Style ESA is a fortnightly payment that can be claimed on its own or at the same time as Universal Credit.
It is different to income-related ESA which cannot be applied for, as reported by Wales Online.
Which conditions qualify for ESA?
If you have certain medical conditions that impact your ability to work, you could be eligible for ESA. The following conditions may qualify you for the benefit:
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Certain infectious and parasitic diseases
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Neoplasms
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Diseases of the blood and blood forming organs and certain diseases involving the immune mechanism
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Endocrine, nutritional, and metabolic diseases
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Mental and behavioural disorders
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Diseases of the nervous system
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Diseases of the eye and adnexa
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Diseases of the ear and mastoid process
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Diseases of the circulatory system
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Diseases of the respiratory system
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Diseases of the digestive system
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Diseases of the skin and subcutaneous system
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Disease of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue
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Diseases of the genito-urinary system
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Pregnancy, childbirth, and the puerperium
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Certain conditions originating in the perinatal period
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Congenital malformations, deformations, and chromosomal abnormalities
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Symptoms, signs, and abnormal clinical and laboratory findings not elsewhere classified
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Injury, poisoning and certain other consequences of external causes
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External causes of morbidity and mortality
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Factors influencing health status and contact with health services
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Codes for special purposes
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Unknown or claimants without diagnosis on the system
The ESA payment is made every two weeks
(Image: Getty Images)
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How can I apply for New Style ESA?
You can apply for New Style ESA online here. You will need your National Insurance Number, your bank of building society account number and sort code, your doctor’s name, address and telephone number, details of your income if you’re working, the date your Statutory Sick Pay ends if you’re claiming it. You will also need a fit note if you have not been able to work for more than seven days in a row due to a disability or health condition.
If you cannot apply online you can call the Jobcentre Plus new claims helpline. Within ten days of applying, you will be contacted by the Department for Work and Pensions and if you are eligible, you must attend an appointment to explain how your illness or disability affects your ability to work and provide medical evidence.
What happens next?
If you cannot work now but can prepare for the future, you will be placed in a work-related activity group which will require you to attend regular interviews with a work coach who will help improve your skills or write a CV to help you get back into work. If you might have less than 12 months to live you will be put in a support group.
New Style ESA lasts for 365 days if you are in the work-related activity group, but there is no time limit if you are in the support group. To keep getting ESA you must report any change in circumstances.
How much ESA can I get?
While your claim is being assessed you will get £71.70 a week if you’re aged under 25 and up to £90.50 a week if you are over 25. After assessment, if you are placed in the work-related activity group you will get up to £90.50 a week and if you are in the support group you can get up to £138.20 a week. You will get paid every two weeks.