Employment and Support Allowance or ESA Tax Credit is a tax benefit that the government of Great Britain introduced to help adults who were unable to work due to a disability or illness. The tax credit is applicable in several regions within the United Kingdom that includes Wales, England, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
The tax credit can be either income-related or contributory. The main difference between the two is that income-related credit is means-tested while the contributory credit is non-means tested. In addition to this difference, it is worth noting that the income-related tax credit is not taxable while the contributory credit is taxable.
ESA Tax Credit Customer Services
Any person in the United Kingdom can apply for both types of Employment and Support Allowance tax credits. Nonetheless, it is worth mentioning that the contributory tax credits are for individuals who have paid the appropriate national insurance contributions. Before qualifying for this credit, you have to undergo work capability assessment to prove your limited capability.
The income-related tax credit is for individuals with low income and savings. The applicant would be ineligible for the benefit if he earns or has savings of more than £16,000. You are free to use the tax credit that you get to meet any of your needs. The UK government does not limit how you use or what you do with the tax credit.
Contacting ESA Tax Credit Customer Service
You can apply for the tax credit through any local JobCenter. However, if you want to ask questions to make it easier to understand the application process better, then feel free to call 0800 055 6688. For applicants who struggle with hearing and speech impairments, the textphone service is available through 0800 023 4888.
The Welsh speaking applicants are able to call and ask for more information regarding different aspects of the tax credit through 0800 012 1888. Although applying by telephone calls is the fastest and most efficient way, it is important to make the calls between 8 am and 6 pm from Monday to Friday. The offices remain closed on weekends and during holidays.
ESA Tax Credit Contact Tips
Calling ESA Tax Credit to ask any question or seek solutions to some of the pressing issues that you encounter depends on understanding the call charges. If you do not understand the charges, it is possible for the calls to end without getting the much-needed answers. Only the numbers beginning with 0808 or 0800 are free. All the other numbers attract call fees and access charges.
