ESA confusion

Hi karenh

You can only apply for New Style ESA providing you have paid enough. You may want to seek advice from your local Welfare Rights Organisation who can take all your circumstances into consideration; advicelocal.uk

You qualify for contributory Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) if you have paid sufficient National Insurance contributions. There are two contribution conditions you must meet:

* First contribution condition - in one of the last two complete tax years, you must have paid Class 1 or 2 contributions on relevant earnings at the lower earnings limit for at least 26 weeks. This means you must have worked for at least 26 weeks of the last two complete tax years; and

* Second contribution condition - in both of the last two complete tax years, you must have paid or been credited with, Class 1 or 2 contributions to the value of 50 times the lower earnings limit.

The 2 tax years that are relevant are the ones that were completed before the benefit year in which your period of limited capability for work began.

New Style ESA is a Contribution Based benefit and is not means tested with the exception of pension income which can reduce the amount that you receive.

The Income Related benefit that goes with NS ESA is Universal Credit.

if you are only receiving Contribution Based NS ESA then there are no capital limits.

If you are applying for Universal Credit then any savings may affect your benefit depanding on how much savings you have, if over £16,000 then you will not be eligible to claim any means tested benefits.

Gary