Chapter 4: Employment and support allowance

• 1. What is employment and support allowance
• 2. Who is eligible
• Contributory employment and support allowance
• Income-related employment and support allowance
• Full-time student
• 3. Limited capability for work
• 4. Amount of benefit
• Contributory employment and support allowance
• Income-related employment and support allowance
• Step 1: capital
• Step 2: work out your applicable amount
• Step 3: work out your weekly income
• Step 4: deduct weekly income from applicable amount
• Applicable amount
• 5. Claiming employment and support allowance
• 6. Challenging a decision
• 7. Other benefits and tax credits

Basic facts

•Employment and support allowance (ESA) is for people who are assessed as having limited capability for work because of their health or disability.
•There is an income-related and a contributory ESA.
•Part-time students who have limited capability for work and full-time students who get disability living allowance, personal independence payment or adult disability payment are eligible for income-related ESA.
•Part-time and full-time students can get contributory ESA if they have paid sufficient national insurance contributions.