New Style Employment And Support Allowance

The UK government supports citizens who are sick or have a disability or a health condition that limits their capability to work and earn a proper living through New Style Employment and Support Allowance. Stay tuned to get detailed information about it.

Since 2021, the UK government has been supporting citizens with a health condition, illness, or disability as they are unable to work or their capability to work is limited through the New Style Employment and Support Allowance. The Department of Work and Pension manages and administers this benefit, people also call it New Style ESA.

The old ESA is different from the New Style ESA, the new one replaces the old ESA for the new claimants as it is paid under the Universal credit system. The DWP processes the New Style ESA financial assistance every two weeks, the claimants can apply for the allowance on their own or with the UC.

However, for the claimants who got both benefits, your UC payout was reduced by the amount you received via New Style ESA.

The New Style ESA is related to National Insurance Contributions, people who receive the benefit earn Class 1 National Insurance Credits, and these credits will help them qualify for certain contributory benefits and State Pensions.

New Style Employment & Support Allowance Eligibility Criteria

The UK people who meet the following eligibility requirements qualify for the New Style ESA and can claim the benefit:

As the New Style ESA is a contributory benefit, you should have enough National insurance credits to claim this benefit, meaning you must be working for 2 to 3 tax years (employment or Self-employment) and credited with the Class 1 or Class 2 National Insurance Contributions.
You should provide a fit note/sick note/doctor note issued by the health professional or your doctor who diagnosed your illness or health conditions. If you don’t have a fit note, you must get it after seven days to claim the New Style ESA.

Exclusion:

You cannot claim the New Style ESA when your employers grant you Statutory Sick Pay, however, you can make the New Style ESA claim in advance if your Statutory Sick Pay will end in the next three months.

How to apply for New Style Employment And Support Allowance?

If you can’t earn enough living due to your illness, health condition, or disability, you can claim the New Style ESA benefits based on your eligibility. But before that, you should have the following documents or information in hand to apply for the benefit:

Your National Insurance number (if any)
Your Doctor’s name, address, and contact number who diagnosed your illness/disability/health condition
Your bank or Building Society account details
Fit note/ doctor’s note/ Sick note
Income details
Statutory Sick Pay End Date (if got any)

Follow the any of the below ways to submit the New Style ESA application to the DWP:

Online: You can apply online through the UK government services website and complete the application process online with the necessary documents.
Universal Credit Helpline: You can call at following UC or Jobcentre Plus helpline if you can’t apply online or you are claiming the New Style ESA for someone between working days and hours ( Monday to Friday, 8 AM to 6 PM):

Telephone: 0800 328 5644 and choose option 3
Textphone:0800 328 1344 and choose option 3
When you can’t speak or listen: 18001 then 0800 328 5644
Welsh Language: 0800 328 1744
JobCenter: 0800 055 6688

What happens after you apply for the New Style ESA?

After you apply for the New Style ESA through your preferred method, the DWP will contact you within 10 working days of your application to tell you whether you can receive the New Style ESA or not.

People who can receive the New Style ESA will generally get an appointment with a local work coach from their local Jobcentre Plus office which is usually scheduled over the phone. The work coach will guide you through the New Style ESA claiming process and help you create a Claimant Commitment agreement that you must agree to before you receive New Style ESA.

The Work Coach generally asks you about your illness or disability’s impact on your work capability and you’ll be asked to tell the jobcentre Plus as soon as your circumstances change and provide medical evidence to prove your health condition or disability.

After the DWP assesses your New Style ESA claim, you’ll be placed in any of two groups:

A support Group: When you can’t work and are not expected to work or prepare for the work in the future due to your incapability of work
A Work-related activity group: You can’t work now but your condition allows you to prepare for future work.

How much can you receive through the New Style ESA?

People who claim the New Style ESA benefits get the payments when their claim is assessed by the authorities and after their claim is assessed to ensure they get enough support while their claim is assessed.

When your New Style ESA claim is being assessed. So, generally, when your claim is being assessed, you receive the following assessment rate for 13 weeks, however, if your assessment takes longer than 13 weeks you will still receive the payment:

Up to £71.70 a week (for people under 25 years of age)
Up to £90.50 a week ( for people aged 25 or over)

When your New Style ESA claim is assessed and you are placed in one of the groups:

You will receive the following New Style ESA assistance based on your group:
- Up to £90.50 a week (work-related activity group)
- Up to £138.20 a week (support group)

The New Style ESA fortnightly payments can be affected if you receive a pension and other benefits, so consult with your work coach about it to understand how much you can receive via New Style ESA.

New Style Employment And Support Allowance – Eligibility, Benefits, How to apply?