Employment and Support Allowance
Employment and Support Allowance offers personalised support and financial help, so that a person can do appropriate work, if they are able to. Employment and Support Allowance was introduced to replace Income Support and Incapacity Benefit.
It gives a person access to a specially trained personal adviser and a wide range of further services including employment, training and condition management support. This is to help a person manage and cope with their illness or disability at work.
Employment and Support Allowance involves a medical assessment called the Work Capability Assessment. This assesses what a person can do, rather than what they cannot, and identifies the health-related support they might need.
Most people claiming Employment and Support Allowance will be expected to take steps to prepare for work, including attending work focused interviews with their personal adviser.
Under Employment and Support Allowance, if a person has an illness or disability that severely affects their ability to work, they will get increased financial support. They will not be expected to prepare for a return to work. They can volunteer to do so at any point if they wish to.
An individual can claim Employment and Support Allowance by telephone or online.