Another ESA work-related activity group question

DJH0111

Hi all, Im new to the group, so apologies if this has been asked before. Long story short, I suffer from M.S, and had been on long term DLA for 9 years. I was put onto ESA (WRAG) in april, but am not 'thinking' about returning to work, mainly because of feeling pressurized by the DWP and jobcenter plus. I know about the permitted hours I can work (16) and the most I can earn in a week (£20), whilst staying on ESA, which isnt really much of an incentive to get disabled people back to work.
Anyway, my question is, if I start working full time, stop my ESA, then 3 months down the line, my MS gets the better of me, and I have to stop work, will my ESA start from where it stopped, or will I have to go through all the medicals and questionnaire's again, and restart from the bottom rate?
The job center, and DWP seem to be useless at being able to help, so has anyone been in this position?

Horseunderwater

Actually the most you can earn in a week is actually £99.50 PW as that is what 16 hours equals. You get to keep that on top of any ESA payments. To do PW - you will need to complete form PW1.
If you stop your ESA then yes you will need to start again as the linking rule has been abolished since 1/5/12.

DJH0111

Ahhhh, thank you for that! Now begins the task of finding a 16hr a week job!

nannytone_2

the earnings limit of £100 is for 52 weekd only.
i suppose by then you would have worked out if a full time return to work should be possible or not

Horseunderwater

DJH0111 wrote: »

Ahhhh, thank you for that! Now begins the task of finding a 16hr a week job!

The 16 hours is at the current NMW of £6.19/hour rounded to the nearest whole 50p. So you could do less hours for a higher wage so long you did not go over the magic £99.50/week.
And Nannytone is correct in that it can only go on for 52 weeks when you are in the WRAG. However if you were in the Support group it can be done indefinitely, should you be able to do PW. Which some people can do.

rogerblack

DJH0111 wrote: »

Anyway, my question is, if I start working full time, stop my ESA, then 3 months down the line, my MS gets the better of me, and I have to stop work, will my ESA start from where it stopped, or will I have to go through all the medicals and questionnaire's again, and restart from the bottom rate?

To answer this specific question.
Until fairly recently (April?) two claims for ESA could 'link' - and your ESA resume if they were up to 102 weeks apart.
This however has changed, and the maximum is now 12 weeks.

If you stop ESA, and then restart, and it's been more than 12 weeks - your claim is treated as a completely fresh claim, unlinked to the old one.

This is especially important for those who are on contributory based ESA - for example those that were migrated from IB.

As that group will at the moment - if they become eligible for the support group - be paid whatever their household income is.

If they break the claim for 12 weeks (and do not work for most of 3 years employed at a significant wage), then on re-claiming ESA, they will no longer be entitled to contribution based ESA.
This means that if they have other significant household income (for example their partner works), even if they are placed in the support group, they will not be paid.
(Of course, there is also the problem for some that the rules have changed somewhat - meaning they will find it more difficult to requalify)

Permitted work is valuable for this reason.