Can you return to ESA??

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Emzie2291

I was on ESA from the age of 21, when I had to give up work due to my disability. 

I met a partner at 28 & due to his son joining our household, I had to change over to UC and LWRCA at the time. 

I now have my own son, am a single mother & still on UC & LWRCA, due to my disability I pay for my son to go to nursery each afternoon, so I can rest. As you can imagine this is financially crippling. He’s 15 months old, and will soon be entitled to the “Free 15 hours” but I won’t be entitled to the “Free 30 hours” through to when he joins school.  

Can I apply to go back on to ESA, even though I haven’t worked for the last 10 years? So that I can then claim the free childcare? Or do you have to have worked within the last couple of years to contribute towards national insurance to be able to be accepted? 

Struggling to understand why there is no financial help available for mums with disabilities that need there child to attend nursery, as a lifeline so that they can parent to the best of their abilities when in receipt of LWRCA and PIP 

poppy123456

The only ESA that's possible to claim now is New style ESA and for this you need to have paid the correct amount of NI contributions from working in the previous 2 tax years. As you haven't worked then you won't be able to claim this.

UC has replaced all the old benefits such as Income Related ESA/JSA and Income Support.

30 hours free childcare applies to thos claiming UC as wekk there's some information here. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/universal-credit-and-childcare/universal-credit-childcare-guide

There's also some information here https://www.gov.uk/30-hours-free-childcare i'm no expert with this but it says " you can apply if you're planning on returning to work within the next 31 days"