Your New Style Employment and Support Allowance plan

New Style Employment and Support Allowance (New Style ESA) is the name of a benefit that some people with a disability or health condition can get.    

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

Living costs include things like rent , food and bills.    

If the Department for Work and Pensions ( DWP ) have accepted your claim for New Style ESA and do not invite you to a Work Capability Assessment, they will contact you to make an appointment for you to talk to your work coach from your local Jobcentre.

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.  

You should also say if you need to have someone with you at the appointment.  
 

This Easy Read tells you about the appointment.  

At the appointment you will have to agree a plan before you get paid your New Style ESA money. 

The plan is called your Claimant Commitment. 

In the plan, you might have to agree what you will do to:

• get ready for work 
• try to find a job.

You should only agree to do things that you can do. 

Let the staff at the jobcentre know if there is anything in the plan which is too difficult for you to do and ask them to take it out. 

If you do not do everything you promise to do in your plan, you might not get your New Style ESA money, or you might get less New Style ESA money.