If you are blind or partially sighted, read on to find out how Jobcentre Plus decides if you can receive Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), how much you might get and what you will need to do to keep receiving it. More detail is available from our factsheet that you can download from the "Further information" section below.
ESA is a benefit for people who:
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have limited capability for work because of sickness or disability
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are not working (although voluntary work and some limited paid work is allowed - see our factsheet for more details)
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are aged 16 or over, but under the age at which you can claim your state pension
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are not entitled to certain other benefits (Statutory Sick Pay, Incapacity Benefit, Income Support, Severe Disablement Allowance or Jobseeker's Allowance).
ESA replaced Incapacity Benefit and Income Support (paid on the basis of incapacity for work) for new claimants on 27 October 2008. Jobcentre Plus will transfer existing Incapacity Benefit and Income Support claimants over to ESA by 2014.
A quick summary of ESA - a story of twos
ESA is a single benefit that you can break down into sets of twos. ESA has:
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two elements: contributory ESA for people who have paid sufficient National Insurance contributions and income-related ESA for those who are on a low income. You may qualify for one or both elements.
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two phases: first, an assessment phase during which Jobcentre Plus assess your capability for work. Secondly, a main phase when you receive the full rate of ESA - depending on which group you are put into.
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a medical test, called the Work Capability Assessment, that is broken into two parts: one to see if you are entitled to ESA at all and the other to determine which group you will be put into.
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two groups: you will be placed into one of two groups - a support group or a work-related activity group - based on the results of the second test. People in the support group receive more ESA and do not have to attend interviews with a Jobcentre Plus adviser. People in the work-related activity group receive less ESA and do have to attend regular interviews with an adviser.
How do I claim ESA if I am blind or partially sighted?
Jobcentre Plus administer ESA on behalf of the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). Call them on 0800 055 6688 to make a claim. They will take all the information they need over the phone and then send you a claim form to sign. You may also be asked to attend an interview at a local Jobcentre Plus office.
You will need to get a medical certificate (called a fit note) from your GP at the start of your claim. After 13 weeks Jobcentre Plus will do their own medical test and you will no longer need fit notes.
You can ask for you claim for ESA to be backdated for up to three months.
After you have been on ESA for around eight weeks, Jobcentre Plus will begin the process of assessing you under the Work Capability Assessment. They will send you a form called an ESA50 to fill in. This asks about your disabilities and about the sort of activities that you find difficult. You have four weeks to complete and return the ESA50.
When DWP Medical Services receive your ESA50 they will decide whether you need to attend a face-to-face medical examination. The examination will be carried out at by a Health Care Professional (HCP) who may be a doctor, a nurse or some other suitably qualified person, at a Medical Services examination centre.
It would be a good idea to take a copy of your sight impairment certification document (CVI or BD8) with you to this medical examination.
The medical test for ESA - the Work Capability Assessment - and how it applies to blind and partially sighted people
The medical test for ESA is called the Work Capability Assessment. It is in two parts.
The first part of the test: The Limited Capability for Work Assessment
This is the test that determines whether or not you are entitled to ESA. If you do not pass this test you will not receive any further ESA (unless you make an appeal). You will have to claim another benefit such as Jobseeker's Allowance instead.
If you are blind or partially sighted, the most relevant activities within the Work Capability Assessment are about your ability to get around out of doors independently and communicate with other people.
For each activity, there are a series of statements or descriptors describing the difficulties that you have. You score points for each descriptor that applies to you and points scored in each activity are added together. You need to score 15 points to pass the test and receive ESA. If you have other disabilities as well, you may also score points for other activities.
The "understanding communication" activity
The descriptors for this are:
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15 points for "Cannot understand a simple message due to sensory impairment, such as the location of a fire escape".
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15 points for "Has significant difficulty understanding a simple message from a stranger due to sensory impairment".
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6 points for "Has some difficulty understanding a simple message from a stranger due to sensory impairment".
If you have difficulty in understanding a message written in 16-point text you should score points. It is a test of your ability to read a "simple message", not sustained reading over a long period. If you can successfully read 16-point text with a hand-held magnifier you may score fewer points, but you should explain why it may not be "reasonable" to use a magnifier in certain circumstances. You should also explain any difficulties you have due to poor contrast, distortion or flashes of light.
If you have problems reading 16-point text and you are not awarded any points under this descriptor at a medical examination please contact us.
The "navigation and maintaining safety" activity
The descriptors for this are:
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15 points for "Unable to navigate around familiar surroundings, without being accompanied by another person, due to sensory impairment".
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15 points for "Cannot safely complete a potentially hazardous task such as crossing the road, without being accompanied by another person, due to sensory impairment".
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9 points for "Unable to navigate around unfamiliar surroundings, without being accompanied by another person, due to sensory impairment".
If you are entitled to Disability Living Allowance mobility component you would be likely to meet at least the "unable to navigate in unfamiliar places without being accompanied" descriptor.
On the ESA50 form and at a medical examination, you should explain to the assessor the sort of practical problems you would have travelling independently and crossing the road in an unfamiliar area, such as finding a crossing and checking that it has audio or other indication of when to cross.
The second part of the test: The Limited Capability for Work-related Activity Assessment
If you pass the first part of the test, Jobcentre Plus will carry out a Limited Capability for Work-related Activity Assessment. This decides which of the two groups they will place you in: the support group or the work-related activity group.
If you have severe disabilities, you will not be required to carry out work-related activities and the DWP will place you in the support group.
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If you have combined sight loss and severe hearing loss DWP may place you in the support group.
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If you have another disability you may want to check if you meet any of the descriptors for the support group.
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If sight loss is your only disability then you may want to check if you meet any of the descriptors for this assessment. Please contact us for further advice.
Your obligations if you are placed in the work-related activity group
If you are placed in the work-related group of ESA, you will have to attend a number of interviews with a Jobcentre Plus adviser. These interviews are intended to explore your options for returning to work and the barriers that you might face in employment. You will be required to discuss and devise an action plan of activities with your personal adviser.
If the DWP consider that you have failed to take part in interviews with your personal adviser they may reduce your benefit.
The two elements of ESA: contributory and income-related
Contributory ESA
To get contributory ESA you must have paid sufficient National Insurance Contributions. You claim contributory ESA as an individual and there are no extra amounts if you have a partner or dependent children. You can claim Contributory ESA even if you live with a partner who is working or who has other income or savings. Contributory ESA is taxable.
You must normally have paid sufficient National Insurance contributions over the last three years to qualify for contributory ESA.
Amount of contributory ESA
Contributory ESA is paid at a flat rate of £71.70 a week (for people 25 or over) during the assessment phase. During the main phase you will receive an extra £28.45 a week if you are in the work related group or an extra £34.80 a week if you are in the support group.
If you are under 25, contributory ESA is paid at a basic rate of £56.80 a week during the assessment phase. Once you enter the main phase you will receive the full rate of ESA.
365-day time limit for contributory ESA for people in the work-related group
If you are in the work-related group, the maximum amount of time that you can receive contributory ESA for is limited to 365 days. Your 13-week assessment phase counts towards the 365-day period.
The time limit does not apply to you if you are in the support group.
Income-related ESA
You can claim this if you are not entitled to contributory ESA or as a top-up for it. To claim it, you must:
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be habitually resident and have a right to reside in the UK
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have no more than £16,000 in capital (savings for example) - if you live with a partner your capital will be assessed together. The first £6,000 of capital is ignored. Capital between £6,000 and £16,000 will affect the amount of benefit you are paid
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normally not work 16 or more hours a week. If you are living with a partner, your partner must not work 24 or more hours a week
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have a low income - lower than the amount that the Government thinks someone in your situation needs to live on. This amount is made up of a basic allowance and extra premiums that you may qualify for. If you have a partner, the DWP also takes into account their income.
Some types of income are not counted (such as Disability Living Allowance), but most other sources of income (other benefits, pension payments) will be taken into account in full and will reduce the amount of income-related ESA you are entitled to. If you have earnings from permitted work, Jobcentre Plus will ignore the first £20 a week. In some circumstances they will disregard up to £97.50 a week.
Amount of income-related ESA
If you are aged 25 or over, the basic rate is £71.70 a week for a single person and £112.55 for a couple. After the assessment phase you will also receive an extra £28.45 or £34.80 depending on which group you are in. You will also receive any relevant premiums (see below).
If you are aged under 25, income-related ESA is paid at a basic rate of £56.80 a week during the assessment phase. Once you enter the main phase you will receive the full rate of ESA.
Income-related ESA premiums and their weekly amounts
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Enhanced disability premium: £15.15 for a single person or £21.75 for a couple
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Severe disability premium: £59.50 for a single person or where one person in a couple qualifies, £119.00 when both people in a couple qualify
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Carer premium: £33.30 for each person that qualifies.
Income-related ESA, housing costs and Housing Benefit
If you receive income-related ESA, this may also entitle you to:
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an extra amount towards interest payments on your mortgage or loan
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help with service charges and ground rent
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Housing Benefit
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Council Tax Benefit.
Our factsheet explains more about these and the qualifying conditions for them.
Revisions and appeals - help for blind and partially sighted people
If the DWP have turned down your claim for ESA, or you are unhappy with how much you have been awarded and believe you are entitled to receive more, you can appeal the DWP's decision. Please see our benefits appeals page for information on how to challenge an ESA claim decision.
Am I better off claiming Jobseeker's Allowance instead if I am blind or partially sighted?
If you are registered or receive any rate of Disability Living Allowance and would be eligible for income-related ESA, you may want to consider claiming income-based Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA) instead.
ESA is paid at a higher rate than basic JSA after the 13-week assessment period, but if you are registered blind or getting Disability Living Allowance, your income-based JSA will include a disability premium, and so be paid at a slightly higher rate than ESA.
Our factsheet gives you a useful comparison of ESA and JSA to help you decide which is best for you.
What help can I get if I am blind or partially sighted and looking for work?
We have lots of useful information in our employment section, including information on looking for work - choosing a career and finding vacancies, writing a CV, completing application forms, interview skills, details of the support the Government can give you, and details of where you can get further support to help with your job search. We also have a range of employment factsheets that you may find useful.
Further information
For information on other benefits and concessions for people with serious sight problems call RNIB Helpline on 0303 123 9999 or email helpline@rnib.org.uk. You can also download our factsheet on ESA:
Please note that we can only give advice about benefits for people with sight loss and their carers or dependants.
If you use a language other than English please let us know which language. We will try to arrange a telephone interpreting service.
This information gives general guidance only and is not an authoritative statement of the law.