People all across the UK could be owed a monthly payment of more than £500, according to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).

Around 1.7 million people in the UK receive employment and support allowance (ESA) which provides monthly payments of up to £518 for those who live with a disability or health condition. Overall, there are a total of 23 medical conditions which could qualify someone for the benefit if it affects their ability to work.

The 'new-style' ESA is available to those below the state pension age, however, the claimants must have either worked as an employee of have been self-employed while paying enough to contribute to National Insurance. Usually, this must have been done in the previous two or three years, Wales Online reports.

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A wide range of conditions could make you eligible for the ESA. We've broken down everything you need to know, including how to get the payment and what criteria must be met.

All the medical conditions that qualify for ESA

The DWP recognises 23 groups of medical conditions that qualify for ESA:

  • Certain infectious and parasitic diseases
  • Neoplasms
  • Diseases of the blood and blood forming organs and certain diseases involving the immune mechanism
  • Endocrine, nutritional, and metabolic diseases
  • Mental and behavioural disorders
  • Diseases of the nervous system
  • Diseases of the eye and adnexa
  • Diseases of the ear and mastoid process
  • Diseases of the circulatory system
  • Diseases of the respiratory system
  • Diseases of the digestive system
  • Diseases of the skin and subcutaneous system
  • Disease of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue
  • Diseases of the genito-urinary system
  • Pregnancy, childbirth, and the puerperium
  • Certain conditions originating in the perinatal period
  • Congenital malformations, deformations, and chromosomal abnormalities
  • Symptoms, signs, and abnormal clinical and laboratory findings not elsewhere classified
  • Injury, poisoning, and certain other consequences of external causes
  • External causes of morbidity and mortality
  • Factors influencing health status and contact with health services
  • Codes for special purposes
  • Unknown or claimants without diagnosis on the system

How to apply for ESA

You can apply for ESA online here or by phone on 0800 055 6688. To apply you’ll need:

  • your National Insurance number
  • your bank or building society account number and sort code (you can use a friend or family member’s account if you do not have one)
  • your doctor’s name, address, and telephone number
  • a fit note (sometimes called a ‘sick note’ or a ‘statement of fitness for work’) if you’ve not been able to work for more than seven days in a row because of a disability or health condition
  • details of your income if you’re working
  • the date your statutory sick pay (SSP) ends if you’re claiming it

After the application has been sent, you will be contact on the phone and told when and where you need to provide evidence to support your claim. After that's been completed, you will get the 'assessment rate' for 13 weeks while the DWP processes your claim.

This will amount to:

  • up to £67.20 a week if you’re aged under 25
  • up to £84.80 a week if you’re aged 25 or over

However, if your claim takes longer than 13 weeks to process, you will continue to receive the assesment rate until a decision is made or the ESA is due to end. There are two groups for ESA payment which provide a different amount:

  • up to £84.80 a week if you’re in the work-related activity group
  • up to £129.50 a week if you’re in the support group