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Benefits
Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
What it is:
Employment and Support Allowance is money for people who can’t work or have limited ability to work because of illness or disability. There are two types of ESA: New Style ESA and Income-Related ESA. Scotland currently uses the New Style ESA, which is a contribution-based benefit.
Who can get it?
- People who are ill or disabled and have paid enough National Insurance contributions in the past 2 to 3 years.
- You need to be under State Pension age.
- You can get ESA whether you’re working or not, but there are limits on how much you can work (e.g., permitted work if you earn under a certain amount).
What it covers:
It helps people who can’t work or have limited ability to work due to a health condition or disability. There are two types of ESA support:
- Work-related activity group – if you’re expected to get back to work in the future and can take steps towards it.
- Support group – if your condition means you can’t work at all.
How much do you get?
ESA payments depend on:
- Your age (there are different rates for people under or over 25).
- Whether you’re in the Work-related activity group or the Support group (Support group generally gets more money).
After an initial 13-week assessment period:
- Work-related activity group gets less than the Support group.
- Support group gets a higher rate because they’re not expected to work.