The principle of Employment and Support Allowance is that everyone should have the opportunity to work and that people with an illness or disability should get the support they need to engage in appropriate work, if they are able.
Working for a better life
In Great Britain, over 2.6 million people depend on incapacity benefits, and yet nine out of ten new customers say that they want to return to work.
There is a body of evidence that people are better off in work – not only financially, but in terms of their health and well-being, their self-esteem and the future prospects for themselves and their family.
Key facts
The key things you need to know about Employment and Support Allowance.
Advisers and customer representatives
Employment and Support Allowance is designed to enable your customers to achieve their full potential through work. The Department for Work and Pensions wants to help you understand what the introduction of Employment and Support Allowance will mean for our shared customers so that you can help us to support them.
Healthcare professionals
Employment and Support Allowance will not mean big changes to the way healthcare professionals deal with patients or the paperwork they need to complete. The Department for Work and Pensions already asks healthcare professionals to fill in forms to provide us with information about patients, and some of the forms are changing.
Employment and Support Allowance information for customers
People who want to claim Employment and Support Allowance can find information on the Jobcentre Plus website.
- Employment and Support Allowance information for customers (Jobcentre Plus website)
