ESA and permitted work/self employed advice

LubiLou

I have a couple of esa and permitted work related questions.

I am currently on esa and looking to start working under the permitted rules (I have a website and would earn money from sponsored posts/advertising). I have the possibility to earn 200 one week then nothing for weeks and I don't have set hours, it depends how long a post takes to write.

I have tried explaining things to the esa department but they seem at a loss. I even sent a covering letter with my PW1 form to explain everything but I received a letter back saying they need my hours of work and money earned before they can make a decisions and are asking for me to send details of my first payment.

I have been offered my first job and will have hours and payment details to send soon but I have no idea if I need to declare myself as self employed or not and if I need to do it before receiving any payments.

Does anyone know if I will have to declare myself as self employed for this and how I go about doing that?

Also if I was to take 50 out of my earnings and use it to run a competition is that classed as a business expense?

I'm really at a loss and frustrated as I want to see if this works I can then come off of esa but everything seems so difficult as nobody knows the answers to my questions and I'm being pushed from pillar to post.

Thanks in advance.

rogerblack

My understanding is:
Self-employment can of course be permitted work.
You can average the wages - if this is appropriate - and for self employment it would be.
There are !!!!-all how-tos or explanatory notes about this, and staff know nothing other than the very simplest cases.


http://www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/dmgch50.pdf - on averaging and the assessment period - see 50051 and subsequent.
50069 and subsequent are very relevant.

The fact that this is not actually published is criminal.

http://www.dwp.gov.uk/publications/specialist-guides/decision-makers-guide/ chapters 48 through 52 touch on aspects of this.

LubiLou

Thank you for your reply Roger! That's helpful to have those links to look over.