Incapacity benefit & ad hoc income

lesley1966

Hi

I'm on Incapacity Benefit, and have just signed up with a market research company to be called on to take part in focus groups. This will happen no more than 3 or 4 times a year. They will pay me after each attendance to cover my expenses. I'm taking part in one tomorrow that will pay £60. My expenses are likely to be about £15. Do I need to declare this to the benefits agency? Does it make any difference if I take part more often?

I've had a look on the Jobcentreplus website but can only find reference to work, and this isn't work.

Thanks for any help.


Lesley

stazi

If you are being paid for your time, then it is work.

However, you are allowed to do Permitted Work without it affecting your IB for a max of period 52 weeks if-
1) You earn less than £88.50pw
2) You work for less than 16 hrs pw

You don't need to inform JCP, but I advise you to keep records of your earnings/hours.

healy

stazi wrote: »

If you are being paid for your time, then it is work.

However, you are allowed to do Permitted Work without it affecting your IB for a max of period 52 weeks if-
1) You earn less than £88.50pw
2) You work for less than 16 hrs pw

You don't need to inform JCP, but I advise you to keep records of your earnings/hours.

I thought you had to advise DWP of any work that you do when you are on Incapacity Benefit.

stazi

From 10/4/06, there is now no requirement to notify JCP if/when someone starts PW. However, it's wise to do so, to ensure no overpayments occur as some people think they are on IB, when in fact they're on IS.

healy

stazi wrote: »

From 10/4/06, there is now no requirement to notify JCP if/when someone starts PW. However, it's wise to do so, to ensure no overpayments occur as some people think they are on IB, when in fact they're on IS.

Thank you for that. Have you got any idea why they changed it?

stazi

To encourage as many as possible on IB to try some form of work without it affecting their benefit.

The problems begin when the earnings/time limits are exceeded, and then JCP have to decide benefit entitlements and calculate the overpayment.

suzanne

Hi lesley1966,

Please be aware you can only do permitted work for 52 weeks then you must have a gap of 52 weeks.

Suzanne

lesley1966

Thanks stazi and suzanne.

Wouldn't this circumstance come under the following, though? (Pasted from jobcentreplus website)

Permitted Work

You can work:

• for earnings of up to and including £20.00 a week for an unlimited period, or

Lesley

suzanne

Hi lesley1966,

I think that comes under the heading "supported permitted work".
Not sure though, check first.

I have just finished 52 weeks permitted work and cannot work again for 52 weeks, or claim JSA.

Suzanne

healy

lesley1966 wrote: »

Thanks stazi and suzanne.

Wouldn't this circumstance come under the following, though? (Pasted from jobcentreplus website)

Permitted Work

You can work:

• for earnings of up to and including £20.00 a week for an unlimited period, or

Lesley

From what you have said before you will be getting more than £20 so the above would not apply.

The following link gives further information on Permitted Work :

http://www.newcastle.gov.uk/core.nsf/a/wr_ifwpwork

lesley1966

Hi Suzanne

It comes under Permitted Work, before Supported Permitted Work.

Healy, yes I'll get more than £20 but I won't be doing it every week! In fact I'm likely to get a total of less than £200 in a year. Can it be averaged out to much less than £20 / week?