ESA Support group 'income releated or contribution based ?

Meganjones

Is ESA Support group 'income releated' or contribution based ?? If people will be put on ESA, the support group where they don't have to attend any meetings,


which is classified as the support group, then is this considered as
1) 'income related ESA' or
2)'Contributory based ESA' ?

How can it be found out, whether it is being awarded income related ESA' or 'Contributory?

or does support group automatically mean you are receiving either 1) or 2)


Here is what some sites say, but what does it mean?
Contributory based ESA is if you have paid enough national insurance contributions


Income related based ESA is if you have NOT paid enough national insurance contributions

What do them above bold statements mean?not paid enough NI contributions? (does that mean if a person receiving the ESA has not worked for years , then they have not enough NI contributions, so therefore will be in the income related group?

can you give some examples of cases/situations please, to show if somebody would likely be in the income related group VS contribution group?


Thank you.

Torry_Quine

You get contribution based ESA if you have sufficient NI contributions in the relevant years, If not then you can get income based if you don't have a working partner who is earning over approx £111 per week. and or savings over £16,000, (between £6 and £16,000 you get some on a sliding scale)

After approx 13 weeks you are assessed and if in the support group then your money continues indefinitely whether contribution or income based. However if you are placed in the WRAG and on contribution ESA then you can only receive money for one year although after this will still be given NI credits. At this point you can if eligible get income based