ESA Employment Support and work - I work 8 hours a week will it affect my claim?

Bluetone1

I am claiming employment support allowance and have been for a few months now, but whilst I was claiming it I was offered a Job only 8 hours a week, and was told it would only affect my benefit if I worked above 16 hours a week.

Anyway just today I was looking through the ESA guide and found that you can only do 'permitted work' whilst claiming and that I must tell the ESA team if I begin work, this has really got me worried and sick now because I've been claiming whilst working now for about 8 weeks and I just feel like I'm in deep s**t, and s**t scared I'll get done for fraud.

Had I known the rules and regulations I'd have told them straight away, and the only reason I was 'confident' enough to begin work was through CBT which I started whilst claiming ESA.

I'm still not comfortable with my job but it's a way to try and overcome my anxiety, however my main issue is claiming ESA and working.

I will without fail phone them on Monday and tell them my story, but I don't know what will happen, what is likely to happen now? Will I go to jail? or Criminal record? =( really panicking

skibadee

Don't worry, get in touch with either your ESA adviser or your local Job Centre plus office....you will NOT go to jail or get a criminal record
I've posted a link for you

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/MoneyTaxAndBenefits/BenefitsTaxCreditsAndOtherSupport/Illorinjured/DG_171909

Bluetone1

skibadee wrote: »

Don't worry, get in touch with either your ESA adviser or your local Job Centre plus office....you will NOT go to jail or get a criminal record
I've posted a link for you

I know, thanks, but I've already that link.
But it says 'Generally you are not allowed to work when getting ESA' and I am working 8 hours a week.

And it says under the Permitted work rules you can 'work for less than 16 hours a week on average'
'work and earn up to £20 a week at any time', but I get about £45 a week

Also I've been claiming ESA and I've been in this job for 8 weeks so far, and I've only just realized that I need to tell them.

Is it prison for me next?

healy

Bluetone1 wrote: »

I know, thanks, but I've already that link.
But it says 'Generally you are not allowed to work when getting ESA' and I am working 8 hours a week.

And it says under the Permitted work rules you can 'work for less than 16 hours a week on average'
'work and earn up to £20 a week at any time', but I get about £45 a week

Also I've been claiming ESA and I've been in this job for 8 weeks so far, and I've only just realized that I need to tell them.

Is it prison for me next?

As said you will not go to prison. You just need to tell them and take it from there.

Bluetone1

healy wrote: »

As said you will not go to prison. You just need to tell them and take it from there.

But where is it likely to go from here, I am terrified, I feel sick.
Will I just have to pay them back the amount I went over in due time when I'm earning enough to be able to?
I don't mind this if it's the case, I probably owe them about £200-£250 as thats probably how much it went over

CountryGuy

Bluetone1 wrote: »

But where is it likely to go from here, I am terrified, I feel sick.
Will I just have to pay them back the amount I went over in due time when I'm earning enough to be able to?
I don't mind this if it's the case, I probably owe them about £200-£250 as thats probably how much it went over

I'm sure when you phone and explain they will understand.

As you say, ring them Monday and let them know of your mistake.

Good luck and do please let us know the outcome.

Bluetone1

CountryGuy wrote: »

I'm sure when you phone and explain they will understand.

As you say, ring them Monday and let them know of your mistake.

Good luck and do please let us know the outcome.

Ye who knows? I thought at least someone would know the outcome or there would be other threads with the same issue already resolved

CountryGuy

Bluetone1 wrote: »

Ye who knows? I thought at least someone would know the outcome or there would be other threads with the same issue already resolved

Someone might come along soon with more knowledge.

Muttleythefrog

I understand the panic op.. that fear. If details aren't right.. if there's something I haven't done that I should or similar.. then it is tormenting. Contact them and tell them that you have not communicated personal circumstances that may affect your benefit... tell them you were totally unaware that your job might affect you benefit because of x,y,z... where x is the incorrect information you think you received regarding 16 hours. It would do no harm if you said you want to pay back anything you need to but preferably small payments over a period of time as obviously you hadn't prepared for this situation.

I think you can rule out jail. The criminals are the ones who don't tell them what they know they should..lol

Follow advice in following comment from passatrider..lol

passatrider

You are not generally aloud to work while receiving ESA unless this is done under 'Permitted Work' rules. The rules are quite complex but so long as you work no more than 16 hours and earn under £95 per week, you should be fine. This is higher rate Permitted Work and can be done for upto 52 weeks in any one period - you then can only earn £20 per week for another 52 weeks before the higher rate can be earned again.

Give Jobcentreplus a call on Monday and ask for PW1 form which is for Permitted Work. When you get this form it will ask what work this is, how many hours, who it's for and when you start or even started it. They may question why you did not tell them earlier but I would not worry too much as you are telling them.
They will then write back to you and tell you whether this falls in the permitted work catagory - given your current details it looks as though you should fall within this criteria.

Hope that helps!

PS. You will not be sent to jail!

Bluetone1

passatrider wrote: »

You are not generally aloud to work while receiving ESA unless this is done under 'Permitted Work' rules. The rules are quite complex but so long as you work no more than 16 hours and earn under £95 per week, you should be fine. This is higher rate Permitted Work and can be done upto 52 weeks in any one period - you then can only earn £20 per week for another 52 weeks before the higher rate can be earned again.

Give Jobcentreplus a call on Monday and ask for PW1 form which is for Permitted Work. When you get this form it will ask what work this is, how many hours, who it's for and when you start or even started it. They may question why you did not tell them earlier but I would not worry too much as you are telling them.
They will then write back to you and tell you whether this falls in the permitted work catagory - given your current details it looks as though you should fall within this criteria.

Hope that helps!

Yes, thank you, so long as I don't get done for fraud I am happy