Form ESA1 Employment and Support Allowance - United Kingdom

How to Fill Out ESA Form?

Before filling out Form ESA1, the individual should look through the guidelines that are attached to the form. They provide detailed explanations on who can use this form, how to fill it in, and which types of ESA the individual can apply for. The form requires the individual to present a wide variety of information, that can be vaguely divided into several parts. These parts can include:

1. Information the Individual/Their Partner. The first part of the document is dedicated to the personal information of the individual and their partner (if applicable). Here, the individual is required to designate their full name, title, date of birth, national insurance number, full address, nationality, marital status, contact details, and the same scope of information about their partner.
2. Disability, Illness, or Heart Condition. If the individual is applying for the allowance due to their disability (illness or heart condition), they are supposed to fill out this part as well. Here they can state the date when their condition began, give it a description, provide information about their doctor, and other details.
3. Work Information. Individuals can use this section of the form to indicate whether they are working at the moment or not. If yes, then they must designate the date when they started working, the number of hours and days they usually work, the number of hours and days they currently work, their employer's information, and other details. If the individual does not work they must designate the date when they started working, the date when they stopped working, whether they are involved in a dispute between them and their ex-employer, and other details.
4. Other Benefits. Here, the individual is supposed to provide the Department for Work and Pensions with information about any benefits they are receiving right now and about any benefits they have applied for in the past.
5. Time Spent Abroad. This part of the form consists of gaps that the individual is supposed to fill in if they have worked or claimed benefits outside the United Kingdom in the last five years. Another reason why they are supposed to fill it in if they have been a member (or in the family of a member) of HM Armed Forces outside the United Kingdom in the last 12 weeks.

There are other parts in Form ESA1 - including those pertaining to statutory payments, pensions, education, special rules, etc. - which must only be completed if they pertain to the individual's situation.

Where Do I Send My ESA Claim Form?

Generally, the Department for Work and Pensions sends eligible individuals packages, where individuals can find a claim for the ESA that they are supposed to fill in, and an envelope they can use to send the claim and attached documents back after they have completed it. The form must be sent back to the Department for Work and Pensions within one month after the individual has received it.

Nevertheless, the quickest and easiest way to apply for the ESA is by phone. Individuals are offered an opportunity to call the Department for Work and Pensions telephone number that they can find on the first page of the form and provide their information to the Department for Work and Pensions staff member.