Guidance

Decision makers’ guide: Vols 8 and 9: Employment and Support Allowance: staff guide

Guidance for DWP decision makers on decision making and appeals.

Documents

DMG Vol 8 Ch 41: ESA conditions of entitlement

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DMG Vol 8 Ch 42: Limited capability for work and limited capability for work-related activity

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DMG Vol 8 Ch 43: Membership of the household

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DMG Vol 8 Ch 44: Normal amount payable and components

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DMG Vol 8 Ch 45: IB, SDA and IS, claims and reassessment

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DMG Vol 8 Ch 46: ESA, Payment questions

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DMG Vol 8 Ch 47: This chapter is spare

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DMG Vol 8: Summary of changes from December 2020

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DMG Vol 8: Amendment 31, June 2020

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DMG Vol 8: Amendment 30, February 2020

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DMG Vol 8: Amendment 29, October 2019

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DMG Vol 8: Amendment 28, June 2019

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DMG Vol 8: Amendment 27, February 2019

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DMG Vol 8: Amendment 26, October 2018

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DMG Vol 8: Amendment 25, June 2018

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DMG Vol 8: Amendment 24, October 2017

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DMG Vol 8: Amendment 23, February 2017

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DMG Vol 8: Amendment 22, October 2016

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DMG Vol 8: Amendment 21, June 2016

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DMG Vol 8: Amendment 20, February 2016

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DMG Vol 9 Ch 48: General rules on income

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DMG Vol 9 Ch 49: Earnings of employed earners

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DMG Vol 9 Ch 50: Self-employed earners

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DMG Vol 9 Ch 51: Income other than earnings

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DMG Vol 9 Ch 52: Capital

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DMG Vol 9 Ch 53: ESA – WfI, WRA, sanctions and hardship, disqualification and advance awards

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DMG Vol 9 Ch 54: Special cases

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DMG Vol 9: Summary of changes from August 2021

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DMG Vol 9: Amendment 32, February 2020

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DMG Vol 9: Amendment 31, October 2019

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DMG Vol 9: Amendment 30, June 2019

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DMG Vol 9: Amendment 29, February 2019

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DMG Vol 9: Amendment 28, October 2018

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DMG Vol 9: Amendment 27, June 2018

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DMG Vol 9: Amendment 26, February 2018

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DMG Vol 9: Amendment 25, October 2017

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DMG Vol 9: Amendment 24, June 2017

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DMG Vol 9: Amendment 23, February 2017

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DMG Vol 9: Amendment 22, June 2016

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DMG Vol 9: Amendment 21, February 2016

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Details

This guidance is for DWP staff who make decisions about benefits and pensions. It helps them make decisions that are accurate and consistent.

The introduction of Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment affects the guidance DWP staff use.

DWP decision makers now use Advice for decision making (instead of the DMG) for decisions that involve:

Why we publish this guide

We publish this guide to help people understand how we make decisions.

Information for claimants

Information for claimants about eligibility and how to claim:

Published 1 June 2013
Last updated 1922 July 2022 + show all updates
  1. Updated DMG Volume 8 summary of changes and DMG Chapter 41 (ESA - conditions of entitlement).

  2. Updated DMG volume 8 summary of changes from December 2020, DMG volume 9 summary of changes from August 2021, and DMG volume 9, chapter 53

  3. Updated DMG volume 8, chapter 42: Limited Capability for Work and Limited Capability for Work-Related Activity and added summary of changes.

  4. Updated DMG volume 9 chapter 52: Capital and summary of changes.

  5. Updated DMG Vol 8 Ch 46: ESA, Payment questions.

  6. Updated DMG Vol 8 Ch 44: Normal amount payable and components.

  7. Updated DMG Chapters 41: ESA - conditions of entitlement, 42: Limited Capability for Work and Limited Capability for Work-Related Activity, 44: Normal amount payable and Components, 52: Capital and 53: ESA - WfI, WRA, Sanctions and Hardship, Disqualification and Advance awards. Also, added updated volume 9 summary of changes.

  8. Updated Vol 9 summary of changes, and Vol 9 chapters 51 and 52.

  9. Replaced 3 chapters: 'DMG Vol 8 Ch 44: Normal amount payable and components', 'DMG Vol 9 Ch 51: Income other than earnings' and 'DMG Vol 9 Ch 52: Capital'.

  10. Updated 'DMG Vol 8 Ch 42: Limited capability for work and limited capability for work-related activity' and 'DMG Vol 8: Summary of changes from December 2020'.

  11. Updated DMG Vol 9 Chapter 49 and Chapter 50.

  12. Updated chapter 42 and volume 8 summary of changes.

  13. Updated DMG Vol 9 Ch 50: Self-employed earners and added DMG Vol 9: Summary of changes from August 2021.

  14. Updated chapters 41, 44 and 53.

  15. Updated DMG Vol 8 Ch 41: ESA conditions of entitlement and DMG Vol 8: Summary of changes.

  16. Updated chapters 44, 46 and 49.

  17. Updated chapter 42.

  18. Updated DMG Vol 8 Ch 44: Normal amount payable and components.

  19. Updated chapter 41 and 'DMG Vol 8: Summary of changes from December 2020'.

  20. Updated Ch 44. Added DMG Vol 8: Summary of changes from December 2020.

  21. Updated chapters 51 and 52.

  22. Updated Vol 8 chapter 42.

  23. Updated DMG Vol 9 (Employment and Support Allowance), chapter 51 - Income other than earnings with guidance on how to treat the NHS Test and Trace self-isolation payment.

  24. Updated Vol 8 Ch 46: Paras 46132, 46143, 46153, 46154, 46161, 46163 and 46164 amended to remove reference to old-style deductions for child support maintenance. Amendment to 46223 and 46232 examples following uprating. Paras 46408 to 46460 removed and moved to chapter 8. Appendices 1 and 2 removed as now redundant

  25. Updated chapters 51 and 52.

  26. Updated chapters 49, 50 and 52. Now include references to DMG memo 13/20.

  27. Revised chapters 43 and 44. Summary of changes in 'DMG Vol 8: Amendment 31, June 2020'.

  28. Added revised 'DMG Vol 9 Ch 51: Income other than earnings' and 'DMG Vol 9 Ch 52: Capital'.

  29. Revised Vol 8: Ch 41, Vol 8: Ch 44, Vol 9: Ch 49 and Vol 9: Ch 51.

  30. Revised 'DMG Vol 9 Ch 53: WFHRA, WfI and disqualification' and 'DMG Vol 9 Ch 54: Special cases'.

  31. Added revised DMG Vol 8 Ch 44: Normal amount payable and components, Vol 8 Ch 46: ESA - payment questions and Vol 9 Ch 49: Earnings of employed earners, with annotations to memo 5/20.

  32. Revised DMG volume 8 chapter 41: ESA conditions of entitlement, and chapter 42: Limited Capability for Work and Limited Capability for Work-Related Activity, annotated to memo 4/20.

  33. Updated chapter 45 ‘IB, SDA and IS, claims and reassessment’ at paragraph 45840 to reflect a change to when transitional addition ends.

  34. Amended DMG volume 8, chapters 41, 42, 44 and 45. Changes listed in amendment 30, February 2020 and volume 9, chapters 51 to 53. Changes listed in amendment 32, February 2020.

  35. Revised DMG volume 8 chapter 44: Normal amount payable and components, with annotations to DMG memo 2/20.

  36. Added revised DMG vol 8, chapter 41: ESA conditions of entitlement and amendment 29, which lists the changes. Also added revised vol 9, chapter 51: Income other than earnings and amendment 31, which lists the changes.

  37. Added revised DMG Volume 9, Chapter 51 and 52.

  38. Updated chapter 46 'ESA payment questions' with changes for deductions for arrears of child maintenance.

  39. Added revised 'DMG Vol 8 Ch 44: Normal amount payable and components' and 'DMG Vol 9 Ch 49: Earnings of employed earners' and the associated amendment notes 'DMG Vol 8: Amendment 28, June 2019' and 'DMG Vol 9: Amendment 30, June 2019'.

  40. Updated chapter 41 - ESA conditions of entitlement.

  41. Revised DMG volume 8 chapters 41, 42, 44 and 46 with the amendments listed in amendment 27. Revised DMG volume 9 chapters 49, 51 and 52 with the amendments listed in amendment 29.

  42. Added revised DMG volume 8 chapters 44 and 46 and volume 9 chapter 49. All annotated to DMG memo 3/19.

  43. Added revised DMG volume 8 chapter 42, with changes listed in amendment 26 and volume 9 chapter 54, with changes listed in amendment 28.

  44. Revised DMG volume 9 chapter 52 - changed references from Google Finance to Yahoo Finance (paragraphs 52670 and 52676).

  45. Revised DMG volume 9 chapter 52: Capital. Annotated to DMG memo 12/18.

  46. Revised DMG volume 8 chapter 45: IB, SDA and IS, claims and reassessment annotated to DMG memo 11/18.

  47. Published revised DMG volume 8 chapters 42, 44 and amendment 25, volume 9 chapters 49, 50, 51, 54 and amendment 27. The changes are listed in amendments 25 (vol 8) and 27 (vol 9).

  48. Revised DMG volume 8, chapter 45: IB, SDA and IS, claims and reassessment - annotated to memo 2/18.

  49. Added revised chapters 49, 50, 51 and 52. The changes are listed in amendment 26 (vol 9).

  50. Added revised DMG volume 8 chapters 41 to 45 and volume 9 chapters 51 and 53. The changes are listed in amendment 24 (vol 8) and amendment 25 (vol 9).

  51. Added revised DMG Vol 8 Ch 41: ESA conditions of entitlement and DMG Vol 9 Ch 51: Income other than earnings - annotated to new memo 21/17.

  52. Added revised DMG volume 9 chapters 49 to 54. The changes are listed in amendment 24. Also deleted out of date amendments 18 and 19 (vol 8) and amendments 18 to 20 (vol 9).

  53. Revised volume 8 chapter 44 and volume 9 chapters 51 and 52 - annotated with memo 14/2017.

  54. Revised DMG volume 8, chapter 42 annotated to memo 13/17.

  55. Revised DMG volume 8 chapter 46 and volume 9 chapters 51 and 52. Amendments are annotations to memos.

  56. Revised DMG volume 8, chapters 41 and 44 and volume 9 chapter 49 and 53 annotated to memos 6 to 8/17.

  57. Added revised chapters 44, 46 and 49 with new rates from April 2017.

  58. Added revised chapter 51 annotated to new DMG memo 3/17.

  59. Added revised chapters 41, 44, 49, 51, 52 and 53. The changes are listed in amendments 23 (vol 8) and 23 (vol 9).

  60. Added revised chapter 41 annotated to new DMG memo 25/16.

  61. Added revised vol 8 chapter 44. The changes are listed in amendment 22.

  62. Added revised chapter 51 annotated to new DMG memo 19/16.

  63. Added revised DMG volume 9 chapters 48 and 49. Changes listed in DMG volume 9 amendment 22 June 2016.

  64. Added revised DMG volume 8 chapters 41, 44 and 46 and volume 9 amendment 22 June 2016.

  65. Added revised chapters 50 and 51. The changes are listed in amendment 19 (vol 8).

  66. Published revised vol 8 amendment 20 and vol 9 amendment 21 - page 2 - amended abbreviations and statute abbreviations.

  67. Replaced chapter 49 with revised version annotated with new memo 11/16.

  68. Added revised chapters 44, 46 and 49 annotated to DMG memo 10/16.

  69. Added revised chapters 44, 54, and amendments 20 (vol 8) and 21 (vol 21), which list the amendments.

  70. Added revised chapters 44, 51, 52, and 53. The changes are listed in amendments 19 (vol 8) and 20 (vol 9).

  71. Added revised chapters 41, 42, 44, 45, 46, 48 to 52 and 54 . The changes are listed in amendments 18 (vol 8) and 19 (vol 9).

  72. Added revised ch 44 annotated to memo 19/15: Housing costs and changes to standard interest rate.

  73. Added revised chapter 42 annotated to memo 17/15.

  74. Published revised chapters 42, 44, 48 to 50, 51 and 52 annotated with new relevant memos 6 to 12/15.

  75. Replaced chapters 44, 46 and 49 with revised versions annotated with new memo 5/2015.

  76. Added revised chapters 44, 46, 50, 52 and 53. The changes are listed in amendments 17 (vol 8) and 18 (vol 9) - also added.

  77. Replaced ch 51 annotated with new memos 1 and 2/15.

  78. Added revised chapter 42 annotated with memos 35 to 37/14.

  79. Published revised chapter 44 annotated with new memos 33 and 34/14.

  80. Added revised: vol 8 chapters 41, 42, 44 and 46 and new amendment 16 - vol 9 chapters 51 and 52 and new amendment 17.

  81. Added revised chapters to volumes 8 and 9. See amendment PDFs 15 (vol 8) and 16 (vol 9) for a list of the changes made.

  82. Replaced chapter 53 with revised version annotated with reference to memo 11/14: Work-related activity and work-focused interviews for lone parents.

  83. Replaced vol 8 ch 44 and vol 9 ch 51with revised versions. See DMG memo 9/14 for details of amendments.

  84. Added revised chapters 41 to 46, 48, 49, 51, 53 and 54. The changes are listed in amendments 14 and 15 - also added.

  85. Added revised vol 8 ch 42, with changes referring to guidance in DMG memo 2/14 - ESA - good cause.

  86. First published.