(Members only incapacity benefit (IB) guides are here).

Moving from incapacity benefit to employment and support allowance

You can no longer make a new claim or a linked claim for incapacity benefit or income support as incapable of work. 

Most people now have to claim employment and support allowance (ESA) instead. 

Almost all current claimants will be moved off their incapacity benefit and income support and assessed for ESA at some time between March 2011 and March 2014.

Find out more
To find out more about the change from incapacity benefit and more about employment and support allowance, sign up for our free fortnightly newsletter and our free ESA tips and tactics emails. 

As well as the newsletter we’ll send you eight daily emails. The first email aims to answer all of the following questions about the IB to ESA transfer process:

•  Is there anyone who won’t be moved off incapacity benefit?
• When will I be assessed for employment and support allowance?
• How will I know when the process has begun for me?
• How will I be assessed for employment and support allowance?
• I’m exempt from the personal capability assessment, will that make a difference?
• I get the higher rate of the care/mobility component of disability living allowance, will that make a difference?
• What proportion of incapacity benefit claimants will get awarded ESA and what proportion will get into the support group?
• If I go into the work-related activity group, does that mean I have to look for work?
• Will I be better or worse off under ESA?
• How long does ESA last for?
• If I get found fit for work, what happens then? 

We'll also sign you up for our completely free monthly benefits newsletter. We won’t use your email address for any other purpose and under no
circumstances will we pass it on to anyone else.