ESA permitted work - any advice please!

unsureofthings

I am currently in the support group for contribution based ESA (I was diagnosed over a year ago with cancer that requires ongoing periodic radiotherapy). Before becoming ill I was a very active and sociable primary teacher who enjoyed her job (and wage!) and I would like to now start building up to getting back to work again to get some independence and normailty back in my life. I am interested in potentially doing around 10 hours a week on checkout in a supermarket but wondered about the effect on my ESA. Am I right in assuming this is OK ?

I have never had a medical interview and dont have an assigned personal advisor that lots of other posts seem to discuss (ESA have always gained info from my oncologists) so who do I contact to inform them I plan to do this permitted work ? How would the tax be sorted out as I know ESA counts to taxable income ? Also realistically would doing 10 hours a week jeopardise me getting ESA - as my health isnt on a firm enough footing to be losing it ?
any advice kindly taken x

NASA_2

So long as it is below 16 hours, which it is, and below £92, which it is, then I think you are fine. You can do it for as long as 52 weeks. Best giving them a shout before actually starting though.

stazi

From 1/10/09 the PW earnings limit is now £93pw.

tigerlily

You need to fill in a PW1 form which ask's for information regarding the work you want to do, how many hours, what you will earn and who you will be working for. Send this form back and it will go to the DM's who will then decide whether this is acceptable as permitted work or not. Technically it is 15hrs and 59mins, as soon as you hit 16 hours you have exceeded the limits. You can earn up to but not exceeding £93 per week and you can do this for 52 weeks. At the end of the 52 weeks you would either decide to carry on working and come off the benefit or stop the permitted work. You would not be able to do any more permitted work in the next 52 weeks. Also be aware that the 52 weeks of permitted work run from day 1 continuously, not as some people seem to think for the duration of a job e.g work for 10 months then not for 3 months and they assume they still have 2 months left at the end of the 3 months of no work!

unsureofthings

tigerlly- does DM mean decision maker ? also, I was told by the dr that as I am in the support group that the 52 week rule would not apply, i.e. that I could work for as long as I was in the support group ?
Also, bit confused as the DW1 form has on that it is for people on incapacity benefit and not the new esa. Was led to believe you didnt have to fill such a form in for esa and esa isnt actually listed as a benefit you should fill in the DW1 for. Maybe time to ring the dreaded benefit hotline.
to get some clarificiation.

thanks for all your replies x

tigerlily

As far as I have been instructed the 52 week rule applies to anyone who has had to go for the medical, the rule your Dr refers to is for those who are PCA excempt i.e have not had to go for the medical as their condition is deemed enough to qualify for the benefit without.
We send out PW1's from IB as we dont as yet have any for ESA, but the principle is the same. DM is decision maker.

stazi

Being in the ESA Support Group and doing Supported PW are two different things.

More info on PW is here-
http://www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk/jcp/stellent/groups/jcp/documents/websitecontent/dev_015480.pdf

DaiBat

I've been claiming Income based ESA for a few years now while suffering depression. Recently, during a discussion with friends about how I would like to try easing myself back into work one of my friends made me an offer of a sort of job. Basically, the offer is that I can work 1 or 2 days a week flexible hours and he would pay my expenses only but also give me occasional benefit like a meal or night out etc. He was thinking more along the line of an informal arrangement rather than employing me so not to put me under any real pressure but I have no idea if this falls under permitted work or even voluntary work. Or neither.
The last thing I need is to be worrying about being followed by investigators in long coats dark glasses and long lensed cameras or undergoing interviews about my eligibility to claim benefits and I'm worried that starting any form of work related activity could make it look as if my claim to date or even my continued claim could be just for convenience sake or even somehow fraudulent.
There is no doubt in my mind that I'm not capable of working and without the benefits I receive I wouldn't be able to live.

rogerblack

Work is only permitted work if the DWP say it's permitted work.
If you do it, then the DWP decides it's not, then they can do various things depending on the level of earnings, from terminating your claim onwards.

http://www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/dmgch41.pdf , which is the guidance on ESA conditions of entitlement - 41144 - gives an example of work not being done for pay, which counts as work.

In short.
You need to apply to the DWP to be granted permission to do permitted work, so you are sure that what you are doing _is_ permitted work.
If what you are doing is judged to be permitted work, then this is officially disregarded while working out your abilities.