Rates and payments
ESA is a weekly benefit, paid every 2 weeks. The weekly figure depends on your age, on whether your claim is still being assessed, and, after assessment, on your group and on when your claim started. Every figure on this page is the 2026/27 position, from April 2026, taken from GOV.UK and the DWP benefit and pension rates publication. April uprating changes these figures each year, so confirm the current rate on GOV.UK before relying on a figure for a new claim.
The full 2026/27 table
| Rate | Weekly amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Assessment rate, under 25 | Up to £75.65 | Normally the first 13 weeks. |
| Assessment rate, 25 or over | Up to £95.55 | Continues if the decision takes longer than 13 weeks; arrears backdated. |
| Personal allowance, main phase | Up to £95.55 (25 or over) | The base amount in both groups. |
| Work-related activity component | £37.95 | Protected claims only: claims that started before 3 April 2017. |
| Work-related activity group, new claims | Up to £95.55 | Personal allowance only; no component since 3 April 2017. |
| Work-related activity group, pre-April 2017 claims | Up to £133.50 | £95.55 plus £37.95. |
| Support component | £50.35 | Added to the personal allowance in the support group. |
| Support group | Up to £145.90 | £95.55 plus £50.35, whenever the claim started. |
The arithmetic is worth checking because secondary websites frequently get it wrong. The support group total is not a separate rate invented by GOV.UK; it is the personal allowance plus the support component, and the two parts add up exactly: £95.55 plus £50.35 equals £145.90. The same check works for older work-related activity claims: £95.55 plus £37.95 equals £133.50. If a website shows you a work-related activity total of £133.50 for a claim made in 2026, it is showing you the protected-claim figure, not the figure a new claimant receives.
What reduces the headline rate
Three deductions matter most. First, a private or occupational pension over £85 a week: half of the excess is deducted. A £100-a-week pension means £7.50 deducted; a £185-a-week pension means £50 deducted. If the pension is high enough, the cash payment can fall to zero, but you still receive Class 1 National Insurance credits, which count towards your State Pension and help you qualify for other benefits. Second, certain overlapping benefits reduce ESA, and the DWP applies the overlapping-benefit rules when another benefit is paid for the same period. Third, a sanction reduces payment in the work-related activity group, as explained on the sanctions page. New Style ESA is taxable, so the amount you receive counts as income for tax purposes, although many claimants on ESA alone have no tax to pay.
How and when you are paid
ESA is paid every 2 weeks, into the bank or building society account you gave on the claim. You can use a friend or family member's account if you do not have one of your own. Payment dates follow the DWP payment calendar for your claim, and a fortnight's payment is simply two weeks at your weekly rate, subject to any deductions. If a payment is late or short, contact Jobcentre Plus before assuming the worst: payment problems are often a bank detail or a reported change that has not yet been processed, and they are faster to fix than a decision challenge.
Premiums on income-related ESA
People on income-related ESA in the support group are also entitled to the enhanced disability premium, and may qualify for the severe disability premium. These premiums are not part of New Style ESA, which is why they do not appear in the New Style table above. If you are on income-related ESA, ask the DWP or an advice service to check that every premium you qualify for is actually in payment; premiums are a common source of underpayment because they depend on circumstances, such as living alone or receiving a qualifying disability benefit, that the DWP may not know about unless you tell them.