Placed in the Support Group for 3 years without a medical
"the support and advice being offered by yourselves at Benefits & Work has proved to be an absolute LIFELINE..."
Support Group without medical
"hi just wanted to let you know support group without medical, thank you all at b&w for your help and guidance, many thanks again"
IB to ESA support group without medical
"Many thanks to the B&W guides for getting me though the transfer from IB to ESA support group."
Successful ESA appeal to Support Group on reconsideration
"11 months after I appealed to be put in support group from wrag, I finally got a reconsideration and thankfully am now in the support group…Thank you for all your help"
Read more forum feedback. Find out how to subscribe to Benefits and Work and get instant access to all of our downloadable guides to ESA claims, medicals and appeals.
What is the employment and support allowance support group?
The ESA support group is for claimants who the DWP consider to have such severe health problems that there is no current prospect of their being able to undertake work or work-related activities.
What are the main differences between the support group and the work-related activity group?
The main differences between the support group and the work-related activity group are that:
- ESA support group members do not have to attend work-focused interviews or undertake work-related activities, such as training or condition management programmes;
- ESA support group members get more money because the support component is paid at a higher rate than the work-related activity component.
- the 365-day limit on claiming contributory ESA, does not include days during which you were in the support group.
How do you qualify for the employment and support allowance support group?
Around a third of claimants who qualify do so because one of a number of support group descriptors apply to them. Many of these descriptors are the highest scoring ones from the limited capability for work assessment. Other claimants qualify because they are exempt or because they are covered by the exceptional circumstance rules, such as there being a danger to themselves or to other people if they were not placed in the support group.
What proportion of ESA claimants get put into the support group?
DWP benefit statistics from February 2024 suggest that 1.6 million people were receiving ESA at that time and, of these, 1.3 million were in the support group.
In the quarter to March 2024, 66% of new ESA claimants who were assessed under the Work Capability Assessment were placed in the support group.
More support group feedback from our members
ESA Support Group
"Received a 'breakdown' of my ESA and which shows that I am now in the Support Group, so thank you for such a great forum with such helpful advice without which I am sure that I would still be in WRAG.
Thank you Benefits and Work for such GREAT advice"
Help re: Support Group
"Hello folks..Thank you for all that you do - you should be given funding by the NHS for preventing more serious illnesses caused by the stress and worry for all of us having to go through these callous "judgements" by people who have no understanding or will to try. I am truly thankful to you all"
Support Group with no medical
"After weeks of worry and uncertainty I received my letter from DWP today stating I am in the support group. It has brought to an end of constant worry over this and now means I can get on with my life with my limited mobility and not have this constant worry on my shoulders.
The forums and advice here has helped so much and I am sure by following your guides I have managed to avoid unnecessary hurdles."
ESA Support Group
"…today i got a letter saying that my appeal was succesful ,i have gone from the WRAG group into the SUPPORT group (with no medical) until 2015, so i must say to all the moderators thank you so much for all the information that you have made available to us, without you i do not think i would have been able to achieve my goal."
Read more forum feedback. Find out how to subscribe to Benefits and Work and get instant access to all of our downloadable guides to ESA claims, medicals and appeals.
