8. Employment and support allowance

• Contributory employment and support allowance
• Who can get contributory employment and support allowance
• Amount of benefit

Employment and support allowance (ESA) is a benefit for people who have limited capability for work because of illness or disability. There are two types: income-related ESA (see below) and contributory ESA (see here).

Limited capability for work is assessed by the DWP, usually at a medical examination (this may be carried out by phone or video link).

The DWP is responsible for the administration of ESA.

Note: income-related ESA is being replaced by universal credit (UC) and you cannot make a new claim for it. At the time of publication, the DWP intended to stop all claims by the end of March 2026, sending claimants a migration notice (by September 2025) telling them to make a claim for UC instead.

Contributory employment and support allowance

• Who can get contributory employment and support allowance
• Amount of benefit

Contributory ESA is not means tested and is for people who have paid sufficient national insurance (NI) contributions.

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 Handbook (for subscribers) 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 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 Handbook (for subscribers).

 

1     s1 and Sch 1 paras 1-5 WRA 2007 »

Amount of benefit

Contributory ESA only includes an amount for you. There are no additions for partners and children. Contributory ESA is made up of a basic allowance and, after an assessment phase, the support component or, for some claimants only, the work-related activity component. The work-related activity component was abolished for most new claims made from 3 April 2017. During the 13-week assessment phase at the start of your claim, the basic allowance is paid at a lower rate if you are under 25. After the assessment phase, the basic allowance is paid at the same rate regardless of your age (the main phase).

Unless you are in the support group, your contributory ESA is only paid for one year.

See CPAG’s Welfare Benefits Handbook (for subscribers) for more information.

Circumstances	Weekly rate
Assessment phase
Under 25	£72.90
25 or over	£92.05
Main phase
Basic allowance	£92.05
Work-related activity component	£36.55
Support component	£48.50

You may get less than this if you have certain types of income, such as an occupational pension. See CPAG’s Welfare Benefits Handbook (for subscribers).