ESA support group but feel very trapped

Bumblebee86

To cut a long story short I have been on ESA and it's predecessors since age 16, I was driven into this way of life, I did not choose it. I am now 28 and FED UP. I have Asperger's Syndrome and cannot do conventional or even voluntary work due to relationship problems and issues with sticking to set fixtures in my life. I am however VERY creative. I make all sorts out of polymer clay (fimo) and often by junk in charity shops and fix it up to look nice and usable again. I would LOVE to be able to sell this stuff online on sites like ETSY, but feel very trapped by the ESA and do not know what to do. Nobody does not even the people who support me, I just get umms and ahhs and nothing. My ultimate goal would be not to have to rely on benefits at all! Waste of time posting it here I suppose, as I don't suppose anyone here knows either.

rogerblack

You can do permitted work on ESA.
This is earning up to around 100 pounds a week, and 16 hours a week, without limit of time.
Phone up and ask for a 'permitted work' form to be sent to you.

Bumblebee86

rogerblack wrote: »

You can do permitted work on ESA.
This is earning up to around 100 pounds a week, and 16 hours a week, without limit of time.
Phone up and ask for a 'permitted work' form to be sent to you.

Yes but someone else on another ESA forum said 'crafting' is NOT permitted work, and they got into trouble for it, UNLESS they did not get the right form!, it could be as simple as getting a permitted work form! I never thought that.

Does anyone else on here know what 'permitted work' actually means as I have to be careful with my condition, I cannot hold down a traditional 9-5 'job' but CAN do some things which are being wasted, will me doing permitted work give :mad: Atos or Capita the idea I can do full time 6 till 6 turning burgers as that's all I would be qualified to do anyway! or throw me in the WRAG at my next renewal. I cannot do the demands of that without support which my mum has to pay for :mad:

Also I cannot use the telephone well so I will ask my mum to phone and get the form, or my support worker who is very busy, I'll probably ask my long suffering mum to do it lol.

Some advice on this aspect of it would not go amiss.

Benefits claimed are: ESA support group
DLA Lower Rate Care (not effected by ANY savings or work at ANY level).

rogerblack

Bumblebee86 wrote: »

Does anyone else on here know what 'permitted work' actually means as I have to be careful with my condition, I cannot hold down a traditional 9-5 'job' but CAN do some things which are being wasted, will me doing permitted work give :mad: Atos or Capita the idea I can do full time 6 till 6 turning burgers

They are supposed to ignore permitted work - unless it's outside what you claim about your condition.
For example - you claim to not be able to go outside, and do a couple of hours a week helping out as a scarecrow.

Permitted work under ESA is basically anything - there is no limit as to what it can be - self employed or not.
You absolutely must however get permission beforehand, or you risk it being found not to be permitted work later and your claim reteroactively closed, with all the payments since as an overpayment and possible prosecution.