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Advice needed about ESA & work

cathy2275
Posts: 3 Newbie
Hi I am new to this site & just wondered if anyone knows the answer to my question. My partner & I are both ill & he is claiming ESA in the support group since march 2012 for us both. The letter told him that he is entitled to both contrubution based & income related, however we do not know which one he is getting.
I have been ill for many years with Bipolar & severe panic dissorder. I am just given medication at the mental health services & I have tried to get some form of treatment in the form of counselling but to no avail. I am still suffering every day from the panic attacks & can't see a way forward from it all. The only time my depression & panic was a little better was when I was at work.
I have seen a job for 20 hours a week at min wage that is local. The position is self employed working in sales. I am thinking about finding out more about this position but do not know how it will effect the benefits we get. I have read on some forums that ESA is not effected if your partner works but I doubt that's true. Does anyone know how the land lies with claiming ESA & working part time? Any help would be most apprecieated. (sorry about bad spelling!)
Many thanks in advance.
I have been ill for many years with Bipolar & severe panic dissorder. I am just given medication at the mental health services & I have tried to get some form of treatment in the form of counselling but to no avail. I am still suffering every day from the panic attacks & can't see a way forward from it all. The only time my depression & panic was a little better was when I was at work.
I have seen a job for 20 hours a week at min wage that is local. The position is self employed working in sales. I am thinking about finding out more about this position but do not know how it will effect the benefits we get. I have read on some forums that ESA is not effected if your partner works but I doubt that's true. Does anyone know how the land lies with claiming ESA & working part time? Any help would be most apprecieated. (sorry about bad spelling!)
Many thanks in advance.
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Comments
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As I understand it.
Making some assumptions.
He is likely to be getting contributory ESA, at the single-persons rate.
This will not be affected by your earnings.
You as a couple are getting income-related ESA as a top-up, to top you up to the income a couple on IR-ESA would get.
This will be eliminated by your working.
You would still be entitled to some CTB, and perhaps housing benefit/...
You need to phone them up and clarify the position.0 -
Hello & thank you for your reply.
I don't understand any part of this ESA stuff to be honest! I have looked at the letter & is shows a breakdown of what we get as follows
Living expenses for you & your partner £105.95
Money because you are a carer £31.00
Disability income guarantee £20.25
extra money for being in the support group £32.35
total income related amount is £189.55
It does not show which sum is based on contrubtions & which is the top up amount -which we would loose if I took the job. I would just like to know a rough figure we would be left with on the ESA claim once I started the job.
Thanks for your help so far.0 -
Surely if you're on ESA you're not fit for work? However you're thinking about starting work.
If you're fit for *some* work, you should be on JSA.0 -
If you start work you may be eligible for some amount of tax credits (including disability tax credits).
The Jobcentre or benefits helpline should be able to do a "better off calculation".A kind word lasts a minute, a skelped erse is sair for a day.0 -
dearlouise wrote: »Surely if you're on ESA you're not fit for work? However you're thinking about starting work.
If you're fit for *some* work, you should be on JSA.0 -
As far as income is concerned, I'm not sure, but this is taken from the direct.gov website
"This means that you have savings of less than £16,000 and, if you have a partner or civil partner, they work for less than 24 hours a week on average. There is no limit on the amount of time you can claim income-based Employment and Support Allowance as long as you satisfy the entitlement conditions."
This leads me to belive that you, as the partner, are allowed to work the 20 hour job, however there may be an income cap on what you earn. I would speak to someone at perhaps, Citizens Advice Bureau, to verify this and make sure you don't lose your benefit.
Good luck.
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what about the permitted to work scheme.
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/MoneyTaxAndBenefits/BenefitsTaxCreditsAndOtherSupport/Illorinjured/DG_171909
see if this fits what you get0 -
dearlouise wrote: »Surely if you're on ESA you're not fit for work? However you're thinking about starting work.
If you're fit for *some* work, you should be on JSA.
She said that she is thinking about work, the point of ESA in the first place is to help people who are sick or disabled get to/back to work. Being on ESA and feeling able to get back to work is a good thing, not negative.0 -
what about the permitted to work scheme.
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/MoneyTaxAndBenefits/BenefitsTaxCreditsAndOtherSupport/Illorinjured/DG_171909
see if this fits what you get
I don't think the OP would be able to do Permitted Work because it's the OP's husband who is claiming the ESA, rather than herself. I do think it is worth looking into though.0 -
dearlouise wrote: »Surely if you're on ESA you're not fit for work? However you're thinking about starting work.
If you're fit for *some* work, you should be on JSA.
I'm on ESA and work... want to have a pop at me?0
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