This leaflet gives you more informationabout Employment and Support Allowance(ESA) and tells you:� about the support we can give you, and� what you need to do while you are

getting ESA.

There are two types of ESA:� contribution-based ESA you usually get this if you have paid

enough National Insurance contributions� income-related ESA you usually get this on its own or on top

of contribution-based ESA, if you are on alow income.

You could get both types of ESA dependingon your circumstances. You only pay tax oncontribution-based ESA, if it’s due.

Employment andSupport Allowance(ESA)

ESA40ER 04/17

Please readthis leafletcarefully

2

If you do not have access to the internet, you could ask yourfamily or someone you know if you can use their internetconnection. You can also get access to the internet in your localJobcentre Plus office or library.

Please read this leaflet carefully continued

If you have any questions about thisleaflet or you need it in Braille, large print,audio or email please get in touch with uson:� Telephone 0345 608 8545� Textphone 0345 608 8551� Welsh Language 0345 600 3018

Calls to 0345 numbers cost no more thana standard landline call, and counttowards any free or inclusive minutes inyour landline or mobile phone contract.

For more information about ESA, visitwww.gov.uk/employment-support-allowance

3

About your ESA claim

What you will be paid when youfirst make a claim

Further information can be found on our websitewww.gov.uk/employment-support-allowance/what-youll-get

We will pay your ESA into the bank orbuilding society account that you told usabout.

You will be paid every 2 weeks

When you make a claim for ESA, you willnormally be paid the assessment rateuntil we work out how your disability,illness or health condition affects yourday-to-day life.

Keep sending your Statements ofFitness for work until we ask you not toThis is sometimes called a fit note, sicknote or medical certificate. You will find theaddress to post them to at the top of yourletters. They could take 7 days to reach usby post.Please do not take them into your localJobcentre Plus office.

What you need to do

You may not get your full ESA payments if you do notsend your statements in on time.

4

Tell us if anything changes

It is important that you tell JobcentrePlus straightaway about any changesthat could change the amount of ESAyou get. The quickest way to do this is tocall on 0345 608 8545. You must letJobcentre Plus know if:

� your personal details change � you have a new medical condition� your medical condition gets better or

worse� you or your partner’s work situation

changes� the amount of money coming into

your house changes� there are changes to who lives in your

house� you are involved in a trade dispute

(industrial action), or cannot workbecause of a trade dispute (industrialaction)

� you go into or leave hospital if yourstay is for more than 4 weeks

� you go into prison or legal custody� you leave the country or are about to

leave the country� your partner dies.

What you need to do continued

5

What you need to do continued

Tell us straightaway about any changes

An overpayment can happen for a numberof reasons.

For example, there was a change in yourcircumstances and you did not tell usabout it.

If we have paid you less ESA than weshould, we will pay you any money due toyou.

Sometimes we might pay you toomuch money. This is called anoverpayment

If you do not tell Jobcentre Plus aboutany changes straight away then youcould be paid the wrong amount of ESA.You may have to:

� pay back any money you are overpaid� pay a financial fine� go to court.

6

What happens next

You may get an appointment to go to ahealth and work conversation, this is atype of work focused interview (see page 8for information about this).

This is not your Work CapabilityAssessment.

The conversation is not about you lookingor applying for work now, it is abouthelping you get into work when you areable to in the future.

It can help you get to know your workcoach and plan simple steps to help buildyour confidence.

Your health and work conversation

Your ESA payments may be reduced if you do not go toand take part in your health and work conversation, andyou do not have a good reason for not going. We callthis a sanction.

For more information about sanctions, please go to ourwebsite www.gov.uk/employment-support-allowance/what-youll-get

7

What happens next

This assessment helps us find out howyour disability, illness or health conditionaffects your day-to-day life.

There are two parts to the assessment.

Your Work Capability Assessment

Part 1We’ll send you a Capability for Workquestionnaire (this is also called an ESA50form) a few weeks after you make yourclaim. You will need to fill in thequestionnaire and send it back to theHealth Assessment Advisory Service. Ifyou need to, you can ask somebody (like afriend or relative) to help you fill it in.

Part 2You may be asked to go to a face-to-faceappointment with a healthcareprofessional. This will be either a nurse, adoctor, a physiotherapist or an occupationaltherapist. You can bring a friend or familymember to the appointment, as a support,if you would like to.

To keep getting your ESA you’ll have to complete bothparts of your Work Capability Assessment if we ask you to.

You can find more information about the Work CapabilityAssessment, claiming back costs and watch a video exampleof an assessment on the www.chdauk.co.uk website.

8

If we can pay you ESA after your WorkCapability Assessment

If we can pay you ESA, after yourassessment, you’ll be placed into one ofthe following two groups:

for people who have some limits on thingsthey can do.

You will have appointments with a workcoach who will agree with you what you cando to help you into work. The things youagree to do are called your work-relatedactivities.

If you do not go to your appointments or dowhat you have said you would do, your ESAcould be reduced. We call this a sanction.

The work-related activity group is ...

To keep getting your ESA, you will need to do your work-related activities.

The support group ...means you will not have to go to meetingswith a work coach or take part in activitiesto help you get into work.

But if you want to, you can talk to a workcoach at any time. They can help you gettraining to learn new skills, or help youwrite your CV. You may find this supporthelpful if there is a change in your disability,illness or health condition.

9

If we think that your disability, illness orhealth condition does not stop youworking we will call you to check that wehave looked at all of the information youhave.

If we have seen all of the information, wewill send you a letter letting you know whywe cannot carry on paying you ESA. We’llalso send a letter to your doctor lettingthem know we don’t need any moreStatements of Fitness for Work.

If we decide we cannot pay you ESA you may be able to getother benefits, including Universal Credit and Jobseeker’sAllowance. For more information, please go to our websitewww.gov.uk/benefits-calculators

If we cannot pay you ESA after yourassessment

If you do not agree with the decisionnot to pay you or with the group you have been placedin...

You can ask us to tell you whyYou, or someone who acts for you, canphone or write to us within one month ofthe date on your decision letter to ask usto explain our decision in a letter.

10

If we cannot pay you ESA after yourassessment continued

You can also ask us to think againabout the decision

� you think we have not looked at all theinformation, or

� you have more information which maychange the decision.

You must do this within one month of thedate on your decision letter.

When we have looked at the newinformation you have told us, we will sendyou another letter to tell you what we’vedecided and why.

We call this letter a MandatoryReconsideration Notice.

Tell us if:

How to appealIf you disagree with the MandatoryReconsideration Notice, you can appealto an independent tribunal.You must wait for the MandatoryReconsideration Notice before youstart an appeal.

How to appeal

11

You may be able to work and still claim ESA

You may be able to do some work and stillget ESA payments. This is called permittedwork and it lets you:

Permitted work

� work for less than 16 hours each week � earn up to £120.00 (April 2017) every

week, after tax� get your normal amount of benefit

payment� build up your skills and experience� do voluntary work - there is no limit on

how many hours per week you can dovoluntary work for.

From April 2017 there is no limit on thenumber of weeks you can do permittedwork for.

For more information about permitted work please talk toyour work coach or go to our websitewww.gov.uk/employment-support-allowance/eligibility

You can search for a job through DWP’s UniversalJobmatch on our website www.gov.uk/jobsearch

Before you start any work, whether paid or unpaid, you must fillin a PW1 and send it to the Jobcentre Plus office that deals withyour benefit.The quickest and easiest way to get a copy of the PW1 is to go toour website www.gov.uk and search for PW1. Or you can callJobcentre Plus on 0345 608 8545 and ask them to send you aPW1.

Please visitwww.gov.uk

12

More information

� Universal Credit � Work Choice (a programme to help

you get and keep a job if you aredisabled)

� Access to Work (payment made toassist disabled people in a job orWork Trial)

� Personal Independence Payment(PIP)

� Industrial Injuries DisablementBenefit

� Mortgage Interest Payments � Child Tax Credits � Winter Fuel Payments and Cold

Weather Payments� Housing Benefit

Can help to pay the rent for yourhome. Please contact your localcouncil.

� Council Tax Reduction Is help to pay for your council tax.Please contact your local council.

� Money Advice Service Please go to www.moneyadviceservice.org.uk/en

� Prescriptions, glasses and dentaltreatment Please go to www.dh.gov.uk

� Winter Fuel Payments and ColdWeather Payments

Other help and support youmay be able to get