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Part of How to claim New Style Employment and Support Allowance (ESA): step by step

Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)

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Report a change of circumstances

You must report changes to your circumstances so you keep getting the right amount of ESA. The amount you get could go up or down.

Your benefit might be stopped or reduced if you do not report a change straight away.

You may also need to report changes to other organisations paying you benefits. Find out how to report a change of circumstances for other benefits.

What you need to report

This list does not cover every change you must report. Call Jobcentre Plus if you’re not sure whether you need to report a change.

You may be prosecuted or have to pay a £50 penalty if you give wrong or incomplete information.

Changes to personal details

You must report if you:

  • change your name
  • change your address
  • change your bank details
  • change your telephone number
  • leave Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales) for any period of time
  • go into prison or legal custody
  • have a change in your immigration status, if you are not a British citizen

Changes to a medical condition or disability

You must report if you:

  • have any changes to a medical condition or disability
  • go into hospital, a care home or sheltered accommodation
  • change doctor
  • start or stop caring for someone

Changes to work or education

You must report if you:

  • start or stop education, training or an apprenticeship
  • start or stop work, or change your working hours
  • are involved in a trade dispute, or are unable to work because of a trade dispute

Changes to income and benefits

You must report if you:

  • have a change to your salary or earnings from work
  • get paid back-pay (sometimes called ‘arrears’) for your salary or earnings from work
  • start or stop getting a benefit or a pension
  • start or stop getting any other regular source of money (for example, student loans or grants, sick pay, or money from a charity)
  • have a change to the amount of money you get from a benefit, a pension or any other regular source of money

If you’ve been paid too much

If you give wrong or incomplete information or do not report a change straight away, you might be paid too much. If you are, you might have to pay some of the money back.

How to report

You can report a change of circumstances by:

  • calling Jobcentre Plus
  • writing to the Jobcentre Plus office that pays your ESA - the address is on the letters you get about your ESA

Jobcentre Plus

Telephone: 0800 169 0310
Relay UK (if you cannot hear or speak on the phone): 18001 then 0800 169 0310
British Sign Language (BSL) video relay service if you’re on a computer - find out how to use the service on mobile or tablet
Welsh language: 0800 328 1744
Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm
Find out about call charges

If you get Universal Credit at the same time as New Style ESA, you must also report the changes of circumstances in your Universal Credit account.

If you’re in Northern Ireland contact the ESA Centre.

View a printable version of the whole guide

This page is Part of How to claim New Style Employment and Support Allowance (ESA): step by step

  1. Step 1 Check if you're eligible

    1. Check if you're eligible for ESA

    You might also be eligible for Universal Credit.

    1. Find out about Universal Credit

  2. and Start your claim

    1. Find out how to start your claim

  3. Step 2 Attend the appointment with your work coach

    You'll agree what actions you need to take to get payments. This is called a 'Claimant Commitment'.

  4. Step 3 Get your first payment

    You’ll get a letter telling you if you’ll get New Style ESA and how much.

    1. How much you're paid

  5. and Give updates about your health and circumstances

    To keep getting New Style ESA you must send fit notes regularly and report any change in your circumstances.

    1. Send a fit note
    2. You are currently viewing: Report any change in your circumstances

  6. Step 4 Fill in and send the WCA50 form

    You'll get form WCA50 in the post within 4 weeks of your first payment. Return it within 28 days.

    1. Get help filling in WCA50 form

  7. Step 5 Attend a Work Capability Assessment

    You may need to go for a Work Capability Assessment. If you do, you'll get a letter telling you where to go and when.

    1. Prepare for your Work Capability Assessment

  8. Step 6 Get a decision about how much you'll get

    You'll get a letter with a decision. It will also tell you if you'll need to be assessed again.

    1. How much you can get
    2. Find out how to challenge the decision

    To keep getting the right amount you'll need to report any change in your circumstances.

    1. You are currently viewing: Report a change of circumstances

  9. Step 7 Check if your payments will stop or if you'll be reassessed

    You'll be told if your payments will stop and when.

    1. Get support from Jobcentre Plus when your payments stop

    If you need to be assessed again, you'll be sent a WCA50 form. This is normally within 3 years.