In a cost of living crisis, an extra £362 a month can make a huge difference – and the DWP will pay this to anyone with these medical conditions.
The Department for Work and Pensions is paying out £362 a month to people with certain medical conditions that affects how many hours they can work. The Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) is available to individuals under the state pension age who have a disability that impacts their ability to work.
Claimants must also qualify under certain criteria, which includes having worked as an employee or have been self-employed in the past and paid enough National Insurance contributions, usually in the last two to three years, with National Insurance credits also counting towards this. Applications are unaffected if an individual is in or out of work as long as they are not working more than 16 hours per week, or earning more than £183.50 a week.
People already claiming Job Seekers’ Allowance and Statutory Sick Pay will not be considered for ESA. The government has recently rolled out a “new style” ESA, which essentially means it is paid more regularly than Universal Credit.
How it works
Applicants will get a basic assessment rate while their application is being considered. According to the government, this is:
- up to £71.70 a week if you’re aged under 25
- up to £90.50 a week if you’re aged 25 or over
The government says: “If it takes longer than 13 weeks to assess your claim, you’ll continue getting the ‘assessment rate’ until you get a decision or until your ESA is due to end. Your ESA will be backdated if you’re owed any money after 13 weeks.” Once the assessment has been checked off, claimants will be placed into one of two categories.
The government adds: “If you’re able to get back into work in the future, you’ll be put into the work-related activity group. Otherwise, you’ll be put into the support group.
Under this, claimants will receive:
- up to £90.50 a week if you’re in the work-related activity group
- up to £138.20 a week if you’re in the support group
ESA is paid every two weeks.
Full list of medical conditions
- Certain infectious and parasitic diseases
- Neoplasms
- Diseases of the blood and blood forming organs and certain diseases involving the immune mechanism
- Endocrine, nutritional, and metabolic diseases
- Mental and behavioural disorders
- Diseases of the nervous system
- Diseases of the eye and adnexa
- Diseases of the ear and mastoid process
- Diseases of the circulatory system
- Diseases of the respiratory system
- Diseases of the digestive system
- Diseases of the skin and subcutaneous system
- Disease of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue
- Diseases of the genito-urinary system
- Pregnancy, childbirth, and the puerperium
- Certain conditions originating in the perinatal period
- Congenital malformations, deformations, and chromosomal abnormalities
- Symptoms, signs, and abnormal clinical and laboratory findings not elsewhere classified
- Injury, poisoning and certain other consequences of external causes
- External causes of morbidity and mortality
- Factors influencing health status and contact with health services
- Codes for special purposes
- Unknown or claimants without diagnosis on the system
