How to apply for New Style Employment and Support Allowance

What is New Style Employment and Support Allowance (New Style ESA)?

New Style ESA is the name of a benefit that some people with a disability or health condition can get.

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The money is to help to pay for your living costs.

Living costs include things like rent , food and bills.

In front of a picture of lots of different types of benefit leaflets is the Houses of Parliament and a hand putting money into an envelope.

Some people get a benefit called income -related Employment and Support Allowance.

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You cannot apply for income-related Employment and Support Allowance.

A green tick over a hand writing on an application form with a New Style ESA leaflet behind it

This Easy Read tells you how to apply for New Style ESA.

Step 1: Check that you can get New Style ESA

To see if you could get New Style ESA, read our What is New Style Employment and Support Allowance? Easy Read page.

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Step 2: Make sure you have everything you will need

Before you apply for New Style ESA, you will need to know:

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your name, address and telephone number

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your date of birth

A card with the words National Insurance Numbercard written on it with a reference number circled in red and a persons name

your National Insurance number if you have one

You can find your National Insurance number on any letters you have had about your tax , pensions or benefits.

A bank debit card with a long number, and the date off issue and expiry

your bank or building society account number and sort code

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your doctor’s name, address and phone number.

A doctor is writing a letter at a desk talking to a patient. In front of them is an open envelope with an NHS letter in it which says Sick note

You will also need a fit note. Sometimes people call a fit note a sick note.

A fit note is written by a health professional like a doctor, to say if you are fit to work. It may also say what sort of tasks you can and can’t do.

A brown envelope with a Pay slip coming out of it

If you have a job, you will need to know how much money you earn.

If you have a job, but are not at work because of your disability or problems with your health, and you are getting Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) you will need to know the date your SSP will end.

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Step 3: Apply for New Style ESA

You can apply for New Style ESA online or by phone.

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If you want to apply by phone, contact the new Jobcentre Plus helpline.

Phone: 0800 055 6688

Textphone: 0800 328 1344

Relay UK: 18001 then 0800 055 6688

Relay UK is for people who cannot hear or speak on the phone.

You can contact the new Jobcentre Plus helpline Monday to Friday 8am-5pm.

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What happens after you have applied for New Style ESA?

After you apply for New Style ESA, The Department for Work and Pensions ( DWP ) will contact you in the next 2 weeks.

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They will let you know if they have accepted your claim.

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If the DWP have accepted your claim you will be told if you need to have a Work Capability Assessment.

If the DWP have accepted your claim and you do not need to have a Work Capability Assessment , they will decide whether you will get New Style ESA.

If the DWP decide that you will get New Style ESA they will contact you to make an appointment for you to talk to your work coach from your local Jobcentre.

A woman is warning someone over the phone about something.

If you find it difficult to go to appointments or to talk on the phone, let the DWP know when they contact you about the appointment.

Read our Easy Read page ‘Your New Style Employment and Support Allowance plan’ to find out what will happen at the appointment.

An A4 notebook with 'Plan' written on the cover.

The DWP call the New Style Employment and Support Allowance plan a ‘Claimant Commitment’.