Employment Support Allowance is not due if you are entitled to Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) from an employer. You can claim if Statutory Sick Pay payment has been paid and has now ended. This is different to receiving just company sick pay only. There were previously three types of Employment Support Allowance for certain working age people who are unfit to work.
You can no longer apply, as a new claimant, for Employment Support Allowance Income Related and the original Employment Support Allowance Contributions Based benefits. These were replaced by Universal Credit and Employment Support Allowance New Style
Employment Support Allowance New Style
Introduced when Universal Credit came in, it replaces the previous contributions-based Employment Support Allowance benefit for new claimants. It can be claimed alone, or at the same time as Universal Credit if you also have low income/capital.
For more information on Employment Support Allowance and to find out if you’re eligible to claim it, visit GOV.UK – Employment Support Allowance.
Universal Credit helpline
Telephone: 0800 328 5644 (choose option 3)
Textphone: 0800 328 1344 (choose option 3)
British Sign Language (BSL) users: Video relay service
Relay UK (if you cannot hear or speak on the phone): 18001 then 0800 328 5644