ESA WRAG study and volunteering hours

moose1982

Hi,

I'm in receipt of ESA and in the WRAG part. I know there are limits to how many hours someone can study and volunteer, but all I can find on the Direct.gov website is 'speak to an advisor'.

Does anyone know the limits per week? Also if the limits are x number for study and y number for volunteering, of which these numbers should, or should not, be added together? For example, if it is 16 hours per week, is that 16 hours for study and another 16 hours for volunteering, or 16 across both.

Both would obviously help with getting back to work, but when planning things, I don't want to fall foul of the rules. Thanks

Broke_n_Broken

Don't know, but look up assisted/supported work/study, do it right and you can work/study full time and not lose benefits.

salfordgirl

Im not sure as to the rules for the amount of hours.

But i would make sure that your volunteer work doesn't contradict your claim for ESA. Say, just for example, you are claiming saying you cannot walk for more than 50 metres, but then go on to work in a shop stacking shelves, they would look at your initial claim to see if there has been a change of circumstances.

But i would like to think that with you being in the WRAG and doing volunteer work, you are doing what you can to improve your cv, and therefore increasing your chances of getting a job when you are well enough.

moose1982

Broke_n_Broken wrote: »

Don't know, but look up assisted/supported work/study, do it right and you can work/study full time and not lose benefits.

I'll have a Google on those, thanks

salfordgirl wrote: »

Im not sure as to the rules for the amount of hours.

But i would make sure that your volunteer work doesn't contradict your claim for ESA. Say, just for example, you are claiming saying you cannot walk for more than 50 metres, but then go on to work in a shop stacking shelves, they would look at your initial claim to see if there has been a change of circumstances.

But i would like to think that with you being in the WRAG and doing volunteer work, you are doing what you can to improve your cv, and therefore increasing your chances of getting a job when you are well enough.

My ESA is based on physical mobility but the voluntary work is desk work, so that's ok. I'm looking to do both because of the very reason you say, it'll look better on my CV and so more chance of getting a job, in theory...