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ESA - what years they use?

Could you tell me what years they use for esa contribution
And do class 1 credits count
And do class 1 credits count
Replies
Good Evening & Welcome 🙏🙏
It’s great to meet you today 😇😇😇😇
I am one off the “Community Champion’s”
We have got some info on Esa.
https://search.scope.org.uk/s/redirect?collection=scope-meta&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.scope.org.uk%2Fsupport%2Fdisabled-people%2Fbenefits%2Fesa&index_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.scope.org.uk%2Fsupport%2Fdisabled-people%2Fbenefits%2Fesa&auth=v06jdjhJPug%2BjwqXi7IYeg&profile=_default&rank=1&query=Esa
Please please let me know if there’s anything else that I can help you with????
@steve51
Poppy's answer covers this I hope! If you claim this year (2019) the 2 tax years to look at are 2016/17 and 2017/18.
Class 1 or Class 2 credits can help for the second condition, but for the first condition you need to have actual contributions in one of the last 2 complete tax years. That means, as Poppy says, that you need to have been working and have earned at least the lower earnings limit in at least 26 weeks of one of the tax years. They don't have to be consecutive weeks, but they do have to fall all in the one tax year.
The contribution conditions can be relaxed so that contributions paid in any one tax year are enough (even if it was longer ago): for example, if you have been getting carer's allowance in 2017/18 that would relax the conditions.
However, if you've already had one lot of contributory ESA and that has run out because you are not in the support group, there are special rules before you can have another lot of contributory ESA. You have to have a break in your limited capability for work (a break in your ESA entitlement of more than 12 weeks is enough), and then if you can use at least one later tax year than before, you could requalify.
You can look at your NI record online to help you see where you stand.
Will
Maria Solomon
David Stickland