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Employment and Support Allowance
[ch 3: page 46]Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) replaced Incapacity Benefit and Income Support paid because of an illness or disability from January 2011. You will continue to get Incapacity Benefit if you were receiving it prior to this date.
Incapacity Benefit — weekly rates 2015-16*
| £ per week | |
|---|---|
| Under state pension age | |
| first 28 weeks (lower short-term rate) | £77.45 |
| weeks 29-52 (higher short-term rate) | £94.05 |
| week 53+ (long-term rate) | £105.35 |
| Over state pension age | |
| first 28 weeks | £101.10 |
| weeks 29-52 | £105.35 |
| Age addition | |
| incapacity began before age 35 | +£11.15 |
| incapacity began between 35 and 44 | +£6.20 |
| Adult dependency increase | |
| first 52 weeks | +£47.65 |
| first 52 weeks (if beneficiary is over state pension age) | +£58.20 |
| week 53+ | +£60.45 |
* Only available for those who were receiving IB before January 2011
You may get ESA if you have an illness or disability that affects your ability to work, and you are:
• under State Pension age;
• not getting Statutory Sick Pay or Statutory Maternity Pay and you haven’t gone back to work;
• not getting Jobseeker’s Allowance.
There are two types of ESA. People receive contribution-based ESA if they have limited capability for work and have paid enough NICs whereas income-related ESA is paid to people on low incomes.
Any savings you have must be less than £16,000. If you have a partner, your benefit may be paid at the “couples rate”. If your partner is living with you and working, how much they earn could affect your income-related ESA.