Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment he has made of the accessibility of the process for self-employed people on sick leave to claim New Style Employment and Support Allowance.

A self-employed person can make a new claim for new style ESA using the online application form or, where they are unable to claim online, by calling the Jobcentre Plus new claims helpline. In order to qualify, they will need to satisfy the basic entitlement and National Insurance contribution conditions.

Self-employed customers follow the standard customer journey. The online claim process gathers employment information and asks them to identify whether they are (or were) employed or self-employed. Customers identifying as self-employed are assessed by a decision maker to determine their eligibility to claim ESA based on the claim data. If the decision maker requires further information, they contact the customer to obtain relevant details. The claim is then processed as per the standard claim process and payment is issued if appropriate.