Qualification for ESA payment after living overseas

Good afternoon

This is a question about qualifying for ESA payments, not the assessment process which I have already completed, but here goes:

The DWP have told me on the phone that I will never be able to qualify for payment of the benefit, although they awarded me ESA on a 'contributions only' basis starting May 2024. Having returned from living overseas I didn't have the necessary recent two years' of Class 1 employer NI contributions needed.

What they said was that 'due to the way they make my NI contributions' I will not be able to build up the two years' of Class 1 NI and so will not at that point qualify for payment of the benefit.

The DWP used the term 'Class 1 Credits' rather than 'Class 1 contributions', so is this some fiendish loophole that will preclude me from ever receiving payment ? Seems harsh given I was born here, have lived 75% of my life here, and only nicked off overseas for 14 years.

All I have in writing from the DWP is a basic letter of entitlement stating 'current amount: £0.00 weekly'. On the phone they told me I had been put in the support group, will likely have my NI paid until retirement, and be 'unlikely' to undergo review (I don't have any of that in writing !).

If this isn't the correct platform for my question, any suggestion as to where else to go most gratefully accepted.

Kind regards, Alex