Change of https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/decision-makers-guide-vols-8-and-9-employment-and-support-allowance-staff-guide

Change description : 2026-01-09 16:05:00: The following files have been updated: DMG Vol 8 Ch 44: Normal amount payable and components, DMG Vol 8 Ch 46: ESA, Payment questions, and DMG Vol 9 Ch 49: Earnings of employed earners. [Guidance and regulation]

Showing diff : 2025-08-14 10:11:32.213818144 +00:00..2026-01-09 16:05:51.798616908 +00:00

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:

Updates to this page

Published 1 June 2013
Last updated 149 AugustJanuary 20252026 + show all updates
  1. Updated 'DMG Vol 8 Ch 41: ESA conditions of entitlement' and 'DMG Vol 8: Summary of changes from December 2020'.

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Update history

2026-01-13 09:44
DMG Vol 8 and 9 Summary of changes updated

2026-01-09 16:05
The following files have been updated: DMG Vol 8 Ch 44: Normal amount payable and components, DMG Vol 8 Ch 46: ESA, Payment questions, and DMG Vol 9 Ch 49: Earnings of employed earners.

2025-08-14 11:11
Updated ‘DMG Vol 8 Ch 41: ESA conditions of entitlement’ and ‘DMG Vol 8: Summary of changes from December 2020’.

2025-08-08 11:50
Updated ‘DMG Vol 9 Ch 53: ESA – WfI, WRA, sanctions and hardship, disqualification and advance awards’ and ‘DMG Vol 9: Summary of changes from August 2021’.

2025-08-07 15:03
Updated ‘DMG Vol 8 Ch 44: Normal amount payable and components’ and ‘DMG Vol 8: Summary of changes from December 2020’.

2025-08-07 13:46
Updated ‘DMG Vol 9 Ch 51: Income other than earnings’, ‘DMG Vol 9 Ch 52: Capital’, and ‘DMG Vol 9: Summary of changes from August 2021’.

2025-04-16 17:24
Updated: DMG Vol 8 Ch 41: ESA conditions of entitlement; DMG Vol 8 Ch 44: Normal amount payable and components; DMG Vol 9 Ch 53: ESA – WfI, WRA, sanctions and hardship, disqualification and advance awards. The changes are listed in the updated volume 8 summary of changes.

2025-04-14 16:24
Updated DMG Vol 9 Ch 49: Earnings of employed earners and also DMG Vol 9: Summary of changes from August 2021.

2025-04-11 15:02
Chapters 44 and 46 and the summary of changes for Volume 8 have been updated.

2025-03-18 14:24
Updated 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, with annotations to DMG memo 4/25.

2025-02-27 11:37
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.

2025-02-20 15:14
Updated DMG Vol 8 Ch 41: ESA conditions of entitlement and DMG Vol 8: Summary of changes from December 2020.

2025-02-20 09:30
Updated DMG Vol 8 Ch 41: ESA conditions of entitlement and volume 8 summary of changes from December 2020 to February 2025.

2024-11-13 13:54
Updated chapter 46: ESA payment questions and the volume 8 summary of changes. A note has been added at paragraph 46223 to give the rate deducted for miscellaneous accommodation costs for the tax year 2018 to 2019.

2024-10-25 15:35
Updated DMG Vol 8 Ch 44: Normal amount payable and components, Vol 8: Summary of changes, Vol 9 Ch 49: Earnings of employed earners and Vol 9: Summary of changes.

2024-10-23 08:19
Updated DMG Vol 8 Ch 42: Limited capability for work and limited capability for work-related activity. The changes are listed in the updated DMG Vol 8: Summary of changes.

2024-10-22 15:10
DMG Chapter 45 and Volume 8 rolling summary of changes have been updated.

2024-09-11 15:39
Updated DMG Vol 8 Ch 42 “Limited capability for work and limited capability for work-related activity” and the volume 8 summary of changes. There are minor updates on hospitalisation and limited capability for work (LCW), at DMG paragraph 42072.

2024-07-25 12:45
Updated ‘DMG Chapter 51 Income other than earnings’ and ‘Summary of changes from Aug 2021’

2024-06-06 09:39
Updated DMG Vol 8 Ch 41: ESA conditions of entitlement and DMG Vol 8: Summary of changes from December 2020.

2024-05-21 09:16
Updated DMG Vol 8 Ch 42: Limited capability for work and limited capability for work-related activity and summary of changes for May 2024.

2024-04-09 15:03
Updated 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. All cross referenced to DMG memo 2/2024.

2024-04-02 13:48
Updated DMG Vol 9 Ch 51: Income other than earnings.

2024-02-19 10:57
Updated DMG Vol 9 Ch 52: Capital and Summary of changes from August 2021 (February 2024).

2023-12-14 15:02
Updated DMG Vol 8 Ch 44: Normal amount payable and components, DMG Vol 8: Summary of changes from December 2020 to December 2023.

2023-12-08 17:21
Updated DMG Vol 8 Ch 41: ESA conditions of entitlement, DMG Vol 8 Ch 44: Normal amount payable and components and also DMG Vol 8 Ch 46: ESA, Payment questions.

2023-11-24 12:37
Updated DMG Vol 8 Ch 41: ESA conditions of entitlement and summary of changes from December 2020.

2023-11-01 09:30
Updated DMG Vol 9 Ch 52: Capital.

2023-10-12 08:27
Updated DMG Vol 8 Ch 46: ESA, Payment questions.

2023-09-07 11:37
Added DMG volume 9 chapter 52: Capital and summary of changes for August 2023.

2023-07-28 08:29
Updated DMG Vol 8 Ch 44: Normal amount payable and components, DMG Vol 9 Ch 51: Income other than earnings and also DMG Vol 9 Ch 52: Capital.

2023-07-27 13:05
Updated DMG Vol 8 Ch 46: ESA, Payment questions and also DMG Vol 8: Summary of changes from December 2020.

2023-05-16 09:28
Updated Chapter 44 and Volume 8 summary of changes.

2023-05-05 10:55
Updated DMG Vol 9 Ch 51: Income other than earnings and also DMG Vol 9: Summary of changes from August 2021.

2023-04-20 13:05
Updated DMG Vol 8 Ch 44: Normal amount payable and components, DMG Vol 8 Ch 46: ESA, Payment questions, DMG Vol 8: Summary of changes and DMG Vol 9 Ch 49: Earnings of employed earners.

2023-03-23 16:01
Updated DMG Vol 9 Ch 52: Capital and DMG Vol 9 summary of changes.

2023-02-13 10:54
Updated DMG Vol 8 Ch 42: Limited capability for work and limited capability for work-related activityand also DMG Vol 8: Summary of changes from December 2020.

2023-02-10 14:11
Updated DMG Vol 9 Ch 52: Capital

2023-01-13 16:03
Updated DMG Chapter 42: Limited Capability for Work and Limited Capability for Work-Related Activity. The changes are listed in the summary of changes.

2023-01-04 08:16
Updated DMG Chapter 42: Limited Capability for Work and Limited Capability for Work-Related Activity. The changes are listed in the summary of changes.

2022-12-21 11:31
Updated DMG Vol 8 Ch 41: ESA conditions of entitlement and Ch 42: Limited capability for work and limited capability for work-related activity. Removed references to DMG memo 4/20.

2022-12-16 15:47
Updated DMG Vol 8 Ch 42: Limited capability for work and limited capability for work-related activity and added Summary of changes from December 2020.

2022-11-24 16:41
Updated DMG Vol 8 Ch 42: Limited capability for work and limited capability for work-related activity and updated DMG Vol 8: Summary of changes from December 2020.

2022-08-22 11:59
Updated DMG Vol 8 Ch 44: Normal amount payable and components. Cross referenced to new memo 12/22.

2022-07-22 12:34
Updated DMG Volume 8 summary of changes and DMG Chapter 41 (ESA – conditions of entitlement).

2022-07-19 16:28
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

2022-07-01 12:00
Updated DMG volume 8, chapter 42: Limited Capability for Work and Limited Capability for Work-Related Activity and added summary of changes.

2022-05-05 14:43
Updated DMG volume 9 chapter 52: Capital and summary of changes.

2022-04-25 11:27
Updated DMG Vol 8 Ch 46: ESA, Payment questions.

2022-04-08 11:49
Updated DMG Vol 8 Ch 44: Normal amount payable and components.

2022-03-31 16:24
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.

2022-03-25 14:32
Updated Vol 9 summary of changes, and Vol 9 chapters 51 and 52.