Going back to being self employed with DLA

Turning_into_scrooge

My main postings have been on the debt free wanna be board as i am in a huge pile of debt but because this is so big i really have no choice but to go back into work and come off benefits. At the mo i claim income support which i know will stop as soon as i start work with hopefully a grant from IS of £100 to tide me over I also claim DLA which i have phonned and they have said that the chances are what i will be doing will not affect my claim and to also look into working tax credits too. Its a frightening step but i feel ready to have a bit of a life back again as i have lived almost as a recluse, my dad calls it my cocoon :eek: and if i don't do it now i dont think i ever will :rolleyes:

After that ramble this is my question. DLA have said that when i write the letter to them to state going back to work which is going to be back on a self employed basis to include in the letter if i need any business aids such as desk or chair or head set for phone use etc. I apologise if i sound totally stupid but does this mean that i can have a support chair for my desk provided by them to help me back into work and if so is how much of the % cost will i pay towards this. I've never heard of this before and i'm seriously wondering if ive heard correctly :eek: I hope this is easy to understand and ive not confused anyone here :A

penrith

I know a friend of mine had real trouble getting DLA because when he put in his initial claim he was still in work (although he left work 2 weeks later due to ill health). He was just getting the ball rolling before he finally left and had no income until he sorted his benefits. He had to take DLA to the appeal stage. At the appeal stage, although they accepted he was really as ill as he said he was, they took the date of the initial application and at that time he was in work. Therefore they took the decision that at the time of application, he was not THAT ill to get DLA. (straight after this reappplied from scratch and got high care and mobility straight away. nothing had changed in his condition other than he had given up his job).

Anyway, from this i have heard from a number of welfare rights workers that the DLA people take the broad view (for most conditions) that if you are in work then you aren't ill enough to need DLA and they may subject you to a reassessment if you take up a job. I'd like to stress this is only what i heard with regard to my friends conditions (diabetes, stress, anxiety) and i wouldn't necesarily say this applies to all cases. Obviously if you had had your 2 legs amputated and used a wheelchair because of being an amputee, obviously your mobility DLA would not be taken away because you got a job. you could still work and you would still have no legs and therefore qualify for high rate mobility of DLA.

I suppose what i am saying is be careful that you don't take up a job only to find your DLA is taken away (unless you are in a situation similar to the amputee example i gave above.).

penrith

Turning_into_scrooge wrote:

After that ramble this is my question. DLA have said that when i write the letter to them to state going back to work which is going to be back on a self employed basis to include in the letter if i need any business aids such as desk or chair or head set for phone use etc. I apologise if i sound totally stupid but does this mean that i can have a support chair for my desk provided by them to help me back into work and if so is how much of the % cost will i pay towards this.

i suppose they are asking to see if you are still 'disabled'. If you need business aids then i suppose they maybe will take the view that you are still disabled. If you wrote and said you needed no aids/help at work then they may take the view that you don't have any 'needs' and so you don;t need DLA.

I seriously, seriously doubt they'd give you any money for aids (in fact i'd almost bet money that is not why they are asking).

I just want to reiterate that just be careful that you don't loose your DLA by going back to work. Whilst working does not stop you from getting DLA in theory, in practice i think it does in many cases. If you currently get high rate care & mobility you'll be on around £102 a week DLA (plus extras on top of your income support). If you take a job and found you lost your DLA, you'd be £102 a week worse of then you were expecting (on top of working instead of your income support). I just want to stress caution and for you not to assume your DLA will continue if you take up employment.

But if you do go back to work - Good Luck!!

Turning_into_scrooge

Thanks for your post. I do still have both legs and arms even though my legs dont work very well some days. I'm not too concerned about losing the middle care rate that i get its more the mobillity side im concerned about because i do have severe arthritis in my back hips and legs and walking is a nightmare at times as i also have fibromyalgia. What i am really consfused about is the help with the working things such as phone and chair, she even said desk on the phone to me which i already have anyway. Ive never heard of dla people going back to work and being given help with chairs etc. Any ideas?

penrith

Have PM'd you.

Fran

As long as there is no conflict with the conditions you receive DLA for and the type of work you are doing (eg with arthritis it would be suspicious if you went gardening) then there shouldn't be a problem. I understand what Penrith is saying, but if you are happy about working then do it! One thing to check first though is how much better off or not you will be by working. Citizens Advice Bureaux or similar can do a "better off calculation" to make sure it is worth it. You might be able to claim Incapacity Benefit after you've paid enough contributions (check this). However you are only allowed to do "permitted work" when on IB - this is worth finding out about now. Also ask CAB or similar how any other benefits will be affected eg. Housing Benefit or Council Tax Benefit that you might receive now.

Fran

Forgot to answer your question! DLA won't be providing any equipment but ask CAB about local help (or national help - is there an arthritis society charity or something - perhaps do an internet search?). They might be asking you to do this to confirm your conditions.

crutches

http://www.direct.gov.uk/Audiences/DisabledPeople/Employment/LookingForWork/WorkSchemesAndProgrammes/fs/en
may help?
sory dont know how to shorten it!

Savvy_Sue

Is there no longer a Disabled Working Allowance? Sorry if there isn't, I just remember there used to be.

Plus there certainly used to be some help available for aids to enable you to work. I'm really sorry I don't have details and I believe it takes ages to come through (now there's a surprise!) but I have a relative who is quite severely hearing impaired and stuff has been bought for him to help him use the phone at work. This has always been through his employer, so don't know how being self-employed would affect this. I believe another has had a portable acoustic loop through this scheme to enable them to participate in meetings held in rooms without such equipment already installed.

Maybe all this has been superceded by the DDA ...

Ted?

Fran

Savvy_Sue wrote:

Is there no longer a Disabled Working Allowance? Sorry if there isn't, I just remember there used to be.

You can claim Working Tax Credit with disability element if you work over 16 hours. Citizens Advice Website.

Ted_Hutchinson

Disability and Self Employment
The above link may be helpful.
DWP website with link to Access to work however some of the links weren't working when I tried to copy them so try later.

Starting work isn't a notifiable "Change of Circumstance" for DLA so it was wrong of the Disability Benefit Unit to imply that you were obliged to write to them. You would have to tell them if your condition had improved but if you are as disabled now as when the award was made and your ability to cope with your disability is no different then as far as your mobility and your need for care are concerned things remain as before. Anyone with DLA who isn't getting Income Support or needing Access toWork funding should, in my opinion, not inform the DBU as there is no legal obligation to do so and in my view it's best to let sleeping dogs lie.

Clearly the Income Support people will need to be informed of changes in income and if you apply for Access to Work support then clearly the DWP, and eventually the Disability Benefit Unit will learn of the fact. It is the stated aim of the DWP to get more Disabled people into work and the idea that as soon as a disabled person thinks about working DLA will be removed, is going to be counterproductive to this aim. However, as others have indicated you may find your DLA is ended and you will have to explain your newfound ability to manage work irrespective of your care/mobility needs, to an appeal panel. Providing you are able to show that your work is consistent with your DLA claims, there shouldn't be a problem. But it would be better if this worry could be resolved as soon as possible and perhaps writing to the DLA would get it sorted one way or t'other sooner rather than later.

Crutches link leads to a summary of the Access to Work provisions as the DWP site is still down.