Glossary · UK
What is Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)?
A benefit for people whose ability to work is limited by illness or disability, paid at a basic assessment-phase rate and then, once assessed, at a higher main-phase rate if placed in the support group.
Full Definition
Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) provides financial support for people whose capacity to work is limited by a health condition or disability, and can include help moving back into work where appropriate. New claims are now for New Style ESA, a contribution-based benefit assessed on Class 1 or Class 2 National Insurance contributions rather than on household income or savings, though it can also be claimed alongside Universal Credit. A claim starts with a 13-week assessment phase paid at the basic rate -- up to £75.65 a week for someone under 25 and up to £95.55 a week for someone 25 or over for 2026/27, mirroring the equivalent JSA rates -- while a Work Capability Assessment decides whether the claimant moves into the main phase. Those placed in the work-related activity group or the support group then receive the basic rate plus an additional component, with the support group (for the most severe or fluctuating conditions) receiving a higher combined amount and, unlike the work-related activity group, no requirement to take part in work-focused activity. ESA replaced Incapacity Benefit for new claimants from 2008.