partner on ESA,can I work two hours per week?

russell1936

Thanks to you all for your help so far ! much appreciated. If housing benefit does take £10 from me, I would still take the job I as I so want to feel like im earning again, even if it is such a small amount, but it does seem very unfair.

To sugarplumfairy, I can say that if you are both over 25 and of working age, the couple rate you receive for you and your other half is £112.55 per week - he is entitled to the full amount of esa which is £71.70 and the remaining £40.85 he gets for you, not much for a live in carer is it. Also, if you wanted to work,to qualify for working tax credit you would need to do 24 hours per week if you have children and 30 hours per week if you dont have children. The 16 hours per week is for lone parents and partners of seriously disabled people, unlikely that on low rate DLA he would qualify for that.
The permitted work scheme, if he is well enough to do that, is a brilliant scheme I think, it would give you up to £100 per week extra moneyand they dont touch it, but the higher limit (£100.00) is only for 52 weeks.

Would still like to hear from anyone regarding the HB though!

Thanks!

pmlindyloo

I don't know your circumstances of course but would you be able to work the 24 hours to get working tax credits?

Your OH would lose his ESA but you could still be entitled to HB and CT support and working and child tax credits.

Perhaps you could put different scenarios into the calculator on https://www.entitledto.co.uk to see what you what you might get doing different hours.

Indie_Kid

russell1936 wrote: »

The 16 hours per week is for lone parents and partners of seriously disabled people, unlikely that on low rate DLA he would qualify for that.

You can also get WTC on 16 hours a week whatever rate of DLA you receive. And there's extra criteria to meet.

russell1936

If the question was for me (sorry - im new to this!) yes, I would love to find a 24 hour per week job and have applied for many over the last year as my partners mother is now able to help on weekdays, but since they changed the WTC rules for couples with kids from 16 hrs a week to 24 hrs a week to qualify for WTC, daytime jobs are in high demand and extremely hard to find. I also have a 6 year gap in my work history now and this doesnt help. The 2 hours I have been offered may lead to a part time job once I have proved myself, so I will accept the job in the hopes that it leads to more even if they take it all off me.

But if there is anybody out there who does know for sure that up to £20 can be disregarded for HB if you claim IR ESA, or who knows for sure that only £10 would be disregarded, I would be very glad if they could let me know....

Thanks to all who have posted!

pmlindyloo

russell1936 wrote: »

If the question was for me (sorry - im new to this!) yes, I would love to find a 24 hour per week job and have applied for many over the last year as my partners mother is now able to help on weekdays, but since they changed the WTC rules for couples with kids from 16 hrs a week to 24 hrs a week to qualify for WTC, daytime jobs are in high demand and extremely hard to find. I also have a 6 year gap in my work history now and this doesnt help. The 2 hours I have been offered may lead to a part time job once I have proved myself, so I will accept the job in the hopes that it leads to more even if they take it all off me.

But if there is anybody out there who does know for sure that up to £20 can be disregarded for HB if you claim IR ESA, or who knows for sure that only £10 would be disregarded, I would be very glad if they could let me know....

Thanks to all who have posted!

Unless someone can give a link to say differently I still maintain that being on income based ESA entitles you to the maximum HB for your circumstances (ie based on your local housing allowance).

It is what is called a pass ported/gateway benefit.

I believe that your small income will make no difference as long as you and OH remain on income based ESA.

So no deductions/disregards at all. HB will not change.

http://www.merton.gov.uk/advice-benefits/benefits/hb-ctb/housingbenefit/calculatinghb.htm

mikey_bach

ESA IB means full entitlement to housing benefit, there is a disregard for earnings on HB but as the OP is earning under the disregard there would be no change to Housing Benefit,

but it doesn't matter anyway because if the earnings do go over the limit then it can't come off both the ESA and HB as this would mean the customer would be penalized twice.

so there would be reduced ESA but full HB if the earnings go over £20

sugarplumfairy

But if there is anybody out there who does know for sure that up to £20 can be disregarded for HB if you claim IR ESA, or who knows for sure that only £10 would be disregarded, I would be very glad if they could let me know....

Russell1936 try looking on this site http://www.disabilityrightsuk.org/housing-benefit it seems to be quite informative, we've got a one-stop shop for our council up the road so i'll make a note to pop in next week (as i forgot this week) and see what i can find out for different situations.