How much ESA you can get

The amount of ESA you’ll get from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) depends on the type of ESA you claim. You might get:

• new style ESA

• contribution-based ESA

• income-related ESA

You’ll usually only be able to get new style ESA. If you’re not sure, check what types of ESA you can claim.

You can get both contribution-based ESA and income-related ESA at the same time. The DWP will check how much you can get for each of them. The total ESA you’ll get is whichever amount is higher.

If you get either new style ESA or contribution-based ESA

When you first claim, you’ll usually get:

• £90.50 each week if you’re aged 25 or over

• £71.70 each week if you’re aged under 25

About 3 months after your claim, the DWP will assess you. Depending on how much your condition affects you, they’ll put you in either the 'work-related activity group' or the 'support group'. Which group you’re in affects how much ESA you get.

If you’re in the:

• work-related activity group you’ll get £90.50 each week

• support group you’ll get £138.20 each week

It doesn’t matter how old you are.

If you're terminally ill

If your doctor doesn’t expect you to live more than a year, the DWP should put you in the support group when you first claim. This means you’ll get £138.20 each week straight away.

If the DWP don’t put you in the support group you can challenge the DWP’s decision.

If you’re terminally ill but your doctor expects you to live more than a year, you should talk to an adviser.

If you get a personal or work pension

If your pension is more than £85 each week before tax, you’ll get less ESA. To check how your pension will affect your ESA:

1. Work out how much you get from your pension each week – check your pension statement

2. Take off £85

3. Work out half of what you’ve got left – this will be taken off your ESA

Example

Charlie gets £975 each month from a pension.

To check how much he gets each week, he needs to work out what he gets in a year and divide by 52.

£975 times 12 is £11,700.

£11,700 divided by 52 is £225.

Charlie’s pension is £225 each week. Now Charlie needs to work out how much will be taken off his ESA.

£225 minus £85 is £140.

Half of £140 is £70.

Charlie’s ESA will be reduced by £70 each week.

If you get other benefits

You won’t get new style or contribution-based ESA at the same time as:

• Carer’s Allowance

• Maternity Allowance

• Widow’s Pension or Widowed Parent’s Allowance

• Carer Support Payment

It’s usually worth claiming ESA even if you get 1 of these benefits. You’ll get whichever amount is higher.

If you get income-related ESA

To work out how much income-related ESA you should get, you need to:

1. Check the basic amount you can get 

2. Add on any extra amounts – these are called 'premiums'

3. Take money off if you have income

4. Take money off if you have savings or you own a home

If you end up with zero or less than zero, you won’t get any income-related ESA.

Cost of Living Payments

The government sent the last Cost of Living Payment of £299 during spring 2024. They haven’t announced any more payments.

You should have got the Cost of Living payment of £299 between 6 and 22 February 2024. To get the payment you must have been entitled to an income-related ESA payment between 13 November and 12 December 2023.

If you didn’t get the last payment

If you think you should have received a Cost of Living Payment, you can report a missing payment on GOV.UK.

1. Check the basic amount you can get

When you first claim, your basic amount is:

• £142.25 each week if you live with a partner

• £90.50 each week if you don’t live with a partner and you’re aged 25 or over

• £71.70 each week if you don’t live with a partner and you’re aged under 25

If you live with a partner and one of you is under 18, the rules are more complicated. Contact your nearest Citizens Advice to work out how much ESA you’ll get.

About 3 months after you claim ESA the DWP will assess you. Depending on how much your condition affects you, they’ll put you in either the 'work-related activity group' or the 'support group'. Which group you're in affects how much ESA you get.

If you’re in the work-related activity group, your basic amount is:

• £142.25 each week if you live with a partner

• £90.50 each week if you don't live with a partner

It doesn't matter how old you are.

If you’re in the support group, you’ll get an extra £47.70 each week – this is called the 'support component'. This means your basic amount is:

• £189.85 each week if you live with a partner

• £138.20 each week if you don't live with a partner

It doesn't matter how old you are.

If you have less than a year left to live

The DWP should put you in the support group when you first claim. This means your basic amount is £138.20 each week straight away.

If the DWP don’t put you in the support group you can challenge the DWP’s decision.

2. Add on premiums

At any time while you’re getting ESA, you might get extra amounts called 'premiums'.

3. Take money off if you have income

The DWP might take money off your income-related ESA – it depends on the type of income you have. If you live with a partner, it also depends on your partner’s income.

Contact your nearest Citizens Advice if you have other types of income, for example a student loan or grant.

4. Take money off if you have savings or you own property

The DWP might take money off your income-related ESA – it depends on the amount of savings you have. If you live with a partner, it also depends on their savings.

Add together your and your partner’s savings, including investments.

Also add on the value of any property you own – but not the home you live in.

You don’t have to include the value of property you own for up to 6 months if:

• you’re planning to move in

• you left there because of a breakup

• you’re trying to sell it

If you still own the property after 6 months

Make sure to call the DWP to tell them.

Department for Work and Pensions Benefit Enquiry Line

Telephone: 0800 169 0310

Textphone: 0800 169 0314

Welsh language: 0800 328 1744

Relay UK - if you can't hear or speak on the phone, you can type what you want to say: 18001 then 0800 169 0310

You can use Relay UK with an app or a textphone. There’s no extra charge to use it. Find out how to use Relay UK on the Relay UK website.

Video relay - if you use British Sign Language (BSL).  

You can find out how to use video relay on YouTube.

Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm

Calls are free from mobiles and landlines.

Check how much savings you have

If your total savings are:

• £6,000 or less, the DWP won’t take any money off your ESA

• over £6,000 and up to £16,000, the DWP will take money off your ESA – up to £40 each week

• £16,000 or over, you can't get income-related ESA

If you live in a care home

The DWP won’t take any money off your ESA if your total savings are £10,000 or less.

If your total savings are over £10,000, the DWP will take money off your ESA – up to £24 each week.

Contact your nearest Citizens Advice if you’re not sure if something counts as savings, for example if you’ve been given a loan.

If your ESA payments are wrong

Call the DWP and tell them why you think the amount is wrong.

If the DWP don’t change their decision, you can challenge the amount of your ESA.

If you’re not sure you’re getting the right amount of ESA, contact your nearest Citizens Advice to check.