7. Other benefits and tax credits
You cannot get employment and support allowance (ESA) if you are getting statutory sick pay (SSP) from an employer.
1s20 WRA 2007 SSP runs out after 28 weeks, after which you can claim ESA.
You can claim contributory ESA and have this topped up by universal credit (UC). You cannot get ESA if you are getting income support (IS) or jobseeker’s allowance (JSA). You can claim contributory ESA if your partner is getting IS or JSA. You are excluded if you get joint-claim JSA.
2s1(3)(f) WRA 2007Income-related ESA
passports
you to maximum housing benefit,
free school lunches and social fund payments. It also passports you to free prescriptions, dental treatment, sight tests, vouchers for glasses, and to Healthy Start vouchers and free vitamins if you are pregnant (see Chapters
11 and
15).
If you have a child(ren) and a partner and you get contributory ESA, you may be eligible for working tax credit if your partner works 16 hours or more a week, rather than the usual 24 hours.
ESA is taken into account when calculating whether the
benefit cap applies, unless you or your partner get a support component in your ESA. If this is the case, you are exempt from the benefit cap (see
here and
here).