ESA Permitted Work question

Langdon_Alger · 6 October 2015 at 12:36PM

I am on ESA and Carer's Allowance and have been offered a paid position teaching part time at a sixth form college until next April. This is maternity cover for a teacher who has just given birth. I have read about 'Permitted Work' which says I can earn up to £104 per week, I gather I need to request a form from the DWP about this but I'm really anxious about the whole thing and it almost feels like I'm doing something wrong. I suffer from severe anxiety and have managed to build myself up to going into teacher training but every day is a battle and I'm worried they wouldn't understand that. I feel safe in the classroom as it is a non-threatening environment and feel I have made a big step in doing so.

Apparently the work they permit you to do has to adhere to a set of guidelines, but I can't find anything about these online. Is teaching allowed? it's teaching over 16s if that makes a difference.

I'm also currently seeing Student Support as I have a so far unidentified learning difficulty. Aspergers and Dyspraxia have been suggested but of course it's so hard to be tested for those as an adult and it feels like everything has hit me at once.

Any help or guidance would be appreciated, I feel like I'm finally able to drag myself out of this hole that I call my life but I don't know if this is something I'm allowed to do and I worry about my income being affected in the meantime. Thank you.

Apologies if this is in the wrong part of the forum, I wasn't sure.

tomtontom · 6 October 2015 at 12:43PM

Do you mean Carers Allowance or DLA/ PIP?

Do you have classroom experience? Given the number of teachers leaving the profession due to stress and anxiety, I'm surprised you identify it as a non threatening environment.

Langdon_Alger · 6 October 2015 at 12:49PM

Employment and Support Allowance topped up with the Disability Income Guarantee, and Carer's Allowance for my mother. There are only four students as the college has small class sizes, and they are all enthusiastic and respectful as it's post-16 education. I can't imagine what it must be like at a comprehensive with a busy classroom of kids that don't want to be there, but the training I do would not cover me for that, just A-Level and adult education. Thanks.

BlueEyedGirl · 6 October 2015 at 1:59PM

If you do permitted work how many hours a week would you be doing? To claim Carers Allowance you have to be caring for someone for 35 hours a week. You also cannot earn more than £110 per week when claiming Carers Allowance.

Langdon_Alger · 6 October 2015 at 2:14PM

Five hours, basically a morning and an afternoon each week. I am with my mother the rest of the time. A relative is able to help mum in my absence which is a load off my mind as she's recently finished a round of radiotherapy which has hit her quite hard.

BlueEyedGirl · 6 October 2015 at 3:43PM

Langdon_Alger wrote: »

Five hours, basically a morning and an afternoon each week. I am with my mother the rest of the time. A relative is able to help mum in my absence which is a load off my mind as she's recently finished a round of radiotherapy which has hit her quite hard.

Five hours a week seems ok to me, I would not call that excessive but it is the DWP you need to check and clear it with.

TELLIT01 · 6 October 2015 at 5:53PM

Call ESA and ask for the Permitted Work form. Emphasise to them that you are only thinking about PW, that you haven't actually started any. The reason I say this is that a friend of mine contacted them about PW and they suspended his payment immediately. He had a real battle to get it reinstated despite not actually taking up any work.