ESA/DLA claiming partner, but could I afford to work? or learn?

sabreteeth

My partner claims DLA, and ESA. When we moved in together we were told that we must claim ESA as a couple, so we did. I receive Carers allowance for her too. She cannot work due to mental health, that is incurable, therefore work is no option whatsoever for her. We also receive housing benefit for our house.

However, she is quite busy lately with counselling and clubs that's she's joined lately, and is currently working on being more socially active for herself. I can work, (please don't judge me on this part), but I must be able to know we can keep the roof over our heads. We really have no second option. Job searching is hard here, and I am very young. I could not provide for two people, whilst keeping up the the bills, rent, day-to-day living ect. I would like to work, especially if it would put us in a better position, but I'm so worried we will loose everything and not be able to cope.

So my question is, if I had a full time job, NMW for arguements' sake, would we lose out far more? Or being a worse position?

Also, how would taking and apprenticeship or open university course affect us? (I know it's no-nothing if your a student, but we are a couple, I wondered if it was different?)


I'm growing tired of feeling that my options are work (and provide for two), benefits (and be tarred with the same brush as others'), or a student.

Thanks for helping .

BigAunty

You can model the scenarios you propose on the Turn2us online benefit calculator.

You may not get Carers Allowance if you earn more than £100 a week or are a full time student, studying more than 21 hours per week.

https://www.gov.uk/carers-allowance/eligibility

Your earnings are taken into account for means tested benefits like housing benefit, council tax and income based ESA but won't affect contributions based ESA (which I think is limited to 1 year) and DLA.

Despite your anxieties about not being able to provide for your partner, the benefits system since its inception has ALWAYS expected partners to assist or support each other and there are no exceptions when it comes to means tested benefits - it is you, not the tax payer, who is considered primarily responsible. You may find that you still qualify for council tax discount, housing benefit and so on even when you are in employment.

If you are doing a part time course on the OU, I can't see how this would affect anything.

The Direct Gov website also has info on student finance if you decide to enter full time education - bursaries, grants, loans, etc. What level are you considering - FE, HE?

benefitbaby

Your question is actually quite complex and you may benefit (pardon the pun) for a full benefit 'what if' calculation by an advice agency.

You can work whilst claiming CA as long as you do no earn more than £100 per week, this will affect any income-related ESA pound for pound after an initial £20 disregard. As long as some IESA is received full HB/CTB is payable.

If you were to work full-time at NMW then IESA would stop as would CA and so any 'passported' HB/CTB would be lost - although you may qualify for some HB/CTB depending on your earnings.

If you are over 25 then you could claim working tax credit (WTC) to top-up earnings.

Your OH's DLA will not be affected by you working and if they get contribution-based ESA this would not be affected by you working.

You may want to have a play with the benefit calculator here:
http://www.turn2us.org.uk/benefits_search.aspx?gclid=CNDuponJiLUCFW7HtAodemcAmA

The student option is more complicated because this will depend on whether you are thinking about further or higher education and whether you would rely on student loans and/or grants (some are taken into account as income, some are not!). However your OH DLA would again be safe as would CESA.