Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)

To claim for Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), you are required by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to have a Work Capability Assessment which focuses on how your illness or condition affects you on a day-to-day basis.

We work on behalf of DWP to conduct Work Capability Assessments in Northern England and Scotland.

The Work Capability Assessment is one part of the process used by DWP to determine your entitlement to ESA.

What to expect

We will send you a paper ESA50 questionnaire in the post. Please complete and return the questionnaire to us with any medical evidence before the deadline date.

After you return the questionnaire, a highly trained health professional will carry out an initial paper-based assessment. During this early check, the health professional will look for information to decide whether you need to attend an assessment and will tell DWP.

If there is not enough information, you will be invited to attend an assessment. Most assessments are carried out by telephone, but we may invite you to attend a video or face-to-face assessment if needed. A home visit can be arranged if you have medical evidence to say you cannot be assessed by telephone, video or by attending an Assessment Centre.

After the assessment, our health professional will finalise the assessment report. This will be shared with DWP, who will make a decision on benefit entitlement. It can take a number of weeks from making an application to receiving a decision on your benefit claim.

If you are claiming benefits over a set period, it is normal for you to be referred for a Work Capability Assessment more than once. Each time you will be sent a new questionnaire to provide the latest information on how your condition currently affects you.

Changing your appointment

If you are unable to attend your appointment, or would like to discuss changing your method of assessment, please contact Maximus at least two working days (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm) before your appointment so we can rearrange this for you.

Please note, you can only change your appointment once. If you cannot attend for a second time, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) will ask us to send you a form. Please use the form to explain why you could not attend.

End of life care

If you think you may be nearing the end of life, you may be eligible for the Special Rules. You will not usually need a Work Capability Assessment if a health professional has said you might have 12 months or less to live. You should declare this on your application.

Visit GOV.UK for more information on Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) and Benefits if you’re nearing the end of life.

More information

You can find out more about what to expect at a Work Capability Assessment in this instructional video.