Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) claimants will see their payments increase next year, after the DWP confirmed how much benefits will rise by.
Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) helps people who have a disability or health condition that affects how much they can work. It gives them money to help with living costs if they are unable to work, and support to get back into work if they are able to.
People can apply if they are employed, self-employed or unemployed.
Claimants are placed into one of two groups. If they are able to get back into work in the future, they are put into a work-related activity group. Otherwise, they are put into the support group.
Use a benefits calculator to find out what other benefits you could get, for example Personal Independence Payment (PIP) if you have a long-term health condition or disability.
The benefit cap may affect the total amount of benefit you can get. The cap will not affect you if you’re in the support group.
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What are the DWP ESA upratings for 2025 to 2026?
The new Personal Allowances will increase from £71.70 to £72.90 for a single person, aged under 25, or if they are 25 or over that will be a shift from £90.50 to £92.05 a week.
For lone parents, that will be an increase from £90.50 to £92.05, or £71.70 to £72.90 if the parent is under 18.
For a couple, both under 18 it will go up from £71.70 to £72.90, and if they have a child that will go from £108.30 to £110.15.
That increases if they are counted as main phase, or if one is under 18 and the other one is older than 18, although certain conditions apply.
If both are over 18, the payment increases from £142.25 to £144.65, and there are separate limits for different circumstances where a claimant is 25 or over and has a partner who is under 18.
How about the premiums?
The premiums have also been updated.
Enhanced disability for a single person has an increased premium, from £20.85 to £21.20. For a couple that goes from £29.75 to £30.25.
For what's classed as a severe disability that also increases, for a single person from £81.50 to £82.90, and for a couple at the lower rate from £81.50 to £82.90.
For a couple on the higher rate that goes from £163 to £165.80.
For a single pensioner with work-related activity component that will increase from £91.70 to £98.50.
For a single pensioner with with support component that will go up from £79.95 to £86.55, and for single with no component that moves from £127.65 to £135.05.
The rates for pension-age couples with work-related activity component gores from £154.75 to £165.40, and with support component from £143 to 153.45.
A pension-age couple with no component goes from £190.70 to £201.95.
The components for the work-related activity group go from £35.95 to £36.55 and for support group from £47.70 to £48.50.
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