Please enter your Employment and Support Allowance component.

Individuals on main phase Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) are classified as being in either the ‘work related activity group’ or the ‘support group'. Which group you are placed in depends on the result of your Work Capability Assessment. This in turn determines the value of the extra component paid on top of your basic ESA amount.

People in the ‘work related activity' group qualify for an additional amount of £35.95 (from April 2024), unless they made a new claim for ESA after 3 April 2017 when the work related activity component was abolished. For more information see our Employment and Support Allowance help page. People in the ‘support' group qualify for an additional amount of £47.70 (from April 2024).

People who are assessed as not having limited capability for work cannot get ESA. They will instead have to sign on for Jobseekers Allowance or, if they can, claim Income Support.

Work related activity group

People who are able to undertake work related activity are placed in this group. They are paid a work related activity component if they claimed before 3 April 2017. This is subject to attending and taking part in work-focused interviews and a work focused health related assessment.

Sanctions apply to people who fail to comply without good cause. Their ESA can be progressively reduced down to the assessment phase level.

Contributory ESA entitlement is time limited to one year for those in the work related activity group.

Support group

People with more severe illnesses or disabilities who are assessed or treated as having limited capability for work related activity are placed in the support group. They are paid a support component. The support component is not subject to any conditions and is paid as long as the claimant remains in the support group.

People in the support group are entitled to the Enhanced Disability Premium (EDP) provided they qualify for ESA (income related). The EDP is automatically included in your amount if you are in the Support Group component of income-related ESA.

The calculator will work out your entitlement to ESA (income related) and automatically include an Enhanced Disability Premium if you are entitled to one.

For more information see eligibility conditions for Employment and Support Allowance. More details on the process for claiming and assessing ESA are available on the Employment and Support Allowance section of the GOV.UK website.