Who can get contributory employment and support allowance
You qualify for contributory ESA if:1s1 and Sch 1 paras 1-5 WRA 2007 •you have limited capability for work. See CPAG’s Welfare Benefits and Tax Credits Handbook for more details of how this is assessed; and
•you are aged at least 16 and under pension age; and
•you are in Great Britain (there are some exceptions allowed); and
•you are not getting IS, JSA or SSP; and
•you satisfy the NI contribution conditions (see below).
National insurance contributions
You must meet two contribution conditions.
•You must have paid at least 26 weeks’ class 1 or class 2 NI contributions on earnings at the lower earnings limit in one of the two complete tax years (6 April to 5 April) before the start of the benefit year (running from the first Sunday in January) in which you claim.
•You must have paid or been credited with class 1 or class 2 NI contributions on earnings of 50 times the lower earnings limit in each of the last two complete tax years before the start of the benefit year in which you claim.
In certain situations (eg, if you are a carer), the contribution conditions are relaxed. For more information on contribution conditions, see CPAG’s Welfare Benefits and Tax Credits Handbook.