Any experience of permitted work under Incapacity Benefit?

Imnoexpert_2

I have been on Incapacity benefit for a while since I became disabled. I have 'passed' the tests and medicals for IB and DLA.

I would like to try and do some work (even if I was no better financially) and am unsure how capable I would be to hold down a job.

If I was lucky enough to find a part time job and I found I couldn't do it reliably for health reasons I would have to apply for ESA - which is a different threshold. I have been advised that this would be a bad thing to do.

If I got a short term contract job the same would apply.

Do 'permitted work' vacancies exist? Is it a good idea to try this route? How does a period of PW affect future claims, and the move of IB to ESA? Does anyone have experience, or is there a site which can help?

I'm frustrated because it would be so much easier to just stay at home and do nothing raher than try to work.

DX2

Generally, you are not allowed to work while you are getting Incapacity Benefit. You may be able to do some types of work and within certain limits. This is called 'Permitted Work' and it allows you to test your own capacity for doing some work and perhaps gain new skills. You can do Permitted Work from the start of your claim.
Although you do not need permission to do Permitted Work, you must check that the work you want to do is allowed under the Permitted Work rules. You should discuss this with your personal adviser.
You do not need approval from your doctor or have to have a medical assessment just because you are doing Permitted Work. If a medical assessment is due as part of your ongoing benefits-related review, it will go ahead as planned.
Permitted Work is a benefit arrangement - employers do not offer 'permitted work'.
The Permitted Work rules also apply to people in receipt of Severe Disablement Allowance. This benefit was abolished from 6 April 2001. People who were receiving it before that date can carry on receiving it, providing they satisfy the conditions of entitlement.
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/DisabledPeople/FinancialSupport/IncapacityBenefit/DG_10020667

More info click on link ^^

cit_k

Its possible (but dependant on the individual decision maker) that it may cause a new medical to occur, and then its possible ATOS would use the permitted work as evidence against you....

Depends on if the decision maker see's it as a good thing you are trying, or a sign that you have improved...

hayley11

I am on IB and have done permitted work, I rang them to ask if I could do it, they sent me a form and it asked who the employer was, how many hours etc, I sent it back and they replied saying yes I could do it.

You are only allowed to work less than 16 hours and earn no more than £93 a week, after tax.

If you choose to do self employed work (which is what I am doing now) you just have to show them your accounts (I assume at the end of the tax year?) but the same hours and amount earned is the same. I'd be lucky to earn £93 a month doing this let alone a week :rotfl:

I think the only reason they might say no is if you were on IB for say a bad back and then you wanted to do brick laying or something?

Just keep your eye out for part time work, apply for it as normal but ring the job centre ASAP.

ETA - Doing permitted work does not trigger a medical so I wouldn't worry about that.

fluffymovie

I'm not an expert on sickness related benefits but I do remember from training about ESA and it's effect on Housing and Council tax Benefit, there is a linking provision which means if you sign off but sign on shortly afterwards, you would go back onto Incapacity ( it could even be 104 weeks off?). However, with the new changes coming in anyway, all claimants are to be migrated onto ESA in the next few years.

Good luck in your search and fullest respect to you for wanting to get back out there,

Direct gov has some good information which I have cut and pasted for you!

About Permitted Work

Generally, you are not allowed to work while you are getting Incapacity Benefit. You may be able to do some types of work and within certain limits. This is called 'Permitted Work' and it allows you to test your own capacity for doing some work and perhaps gain new skills. You can do Permitted Work from the start of your claim.
Although you do not need permission to do Permitted Work, you must check that the work you want to do is allowed under the Permitted Work rules. You should discuss this with your personal adviser.
You do not need approval from your doctor or have to have a medical assessment just because you are doing Permitted Work. If a medical assessment is due as part of your ongoing benefits-related review, it will go ahead as planned.
Permitted Work is a benefit arrangement - employers do not offer 'permitted work'.
The Permitted Work rules also apply to people in receipt of Severe Disablement Allowance. This benefit was abolished from 6 April 2001. People who were receiving it before that date can carry on receiving it, providing they satisfy the conditions of entitlement.

The Permitted Work rules


Under the Permitted Work rules you can:

• work for less than 16 hours a week on average, with earnings up to £95.00 a week for 52 weeks
• work for less than 16 hours a week, on average, and earn up to £95.00 a week for as long as your illness or disability is considered so severe that you are meeting the threshold of incapacity without having a medical assessment
• work and earn up to £20 a week, at any time, for as long as you are receiving Incapacity Benefit
• do Supported Permitted Work and earn up to £95.00 a week for as long as you are receiving Incapacity Benefit

Supported Permitted Work means work that is supervised by someone who is employed by a public or local authority or a voluntary organisation, and whose job it is to arrange work for disabled people. This could be work done in the community or in a sheltered workshop. It also includes work as part of a hospital treatment programme.

watsinaname

I have been doing permitted work for 3 years on and off. After a year of permitted work you then have to have supported permitted work. Any earnings you recieve you will only be allowed to keep £20 of that ( when on benefits thats a lot to me) and it is taken into account if on HB and Bt benefit. I have found it helpful and would encourage anyone to do it.

NASA_2

Permitted Work doesnt result in the closure of a claim so you would be able to stay on IB and do it without having to claim ESA.

Its worth pointing out though that IB linking will be abolished soon and any new claim for sickness benefit will have to be to ESA. That is seperate to the IB/IS reassessment.