ESA and helping S/E OH

tink273

Hello all,

just after some advice to ensure i do things by the book.

i recently got moved over to PIP and was unsuccessful (doing an MR now cos the assessment was ridiculous) and had my DLA stopped this also meant my husband lost entitlement to CA,
so much to both our concern he has had to return to work. He has accepted a self employed role but is rubbish at the admin side, not that there would be much to do so i want to help him as i am good at it and it would be minimal enough to manage like a couple of hours a month.
But i wonder how this would be seen,
A. Permitted work so id have to ok it with DWP and he would have to pay me
B. just a wife helping out her hubby

we are coming off IR ESA SG back to CB ESA SG just for me

I really want to help my hubby and it would give me something however minor to focus on and give him less to worry about because were both terrified of me being left alone! but i don't want to get anything wrong on the benefits side because that would be a stress i couldn't cope with.

so any advice on how to proceed would be much appreciated
Tink

[Deleted User]

Would ANYBODY know that you not him was doing the admin? I think you know where I'm going with this ......

NYM

venison wrote: »

Would ANYBODY know that you not him was doing the admin? I think you know where I'm going with this ......

If she was being paid through his business, HMRC might

tomtom256

venison wrote: »

Would ANYBODY know that you not him was doing the admin? I think you know where I'm going with this ......

Advocating fraud by the sound of it!

ab1982

tomtom256 wrote: »

Advocating fraud by the sound of it!

Behave, a couple of hours (assuming unpaid) helping out the OH with a bit of admin is hardly Enron.

kingfisherblue

If you don't get paid, are you allowed to volunteer a couple of hours? I don't know the rules for ESA, so I don't know if this is possible. If you are allowed to volunteer, check in case you can only volunteer for a charity. Presumably you would have to declare any voluntary work and it should not be something that clashes with the fact that you are in the support group.

NYM

I don't know anything at all about PIP or ESA but would a couple of hours a month completing some paperwork mean that you might now be capable of tasks that you previously claimed you could not perform ?

Maybe you don't need the DWP's permission but to keep everything above board, maybe it would be best to ask the appropriate dept.

tink273

hi,

Thanks everyone,

technically i dont suppose anyone would know, but i (having sever MH issues) would be constantly imagining being dragged off by HMRC in the middle of night for fraud as daft as it seems so its not an option.

unpaid work is only allowed for registered charities AFAIK so it has to be paid however it would be below the lower earning limit for PW

NYM,
whilst i think that 30 mins a week done as and when capable with no restrictions or expectations is hardly enough for even the DWP to judge someone as capable for work, however OH seems worried that DWP may take that stance to so i suppose you have a point. i just didn't feel right with him paying someone else to do something i know i can do, I think im going to have explain some basics to him and tell him to do a distance learning short course or something after all its very basic accounting so hes prob right its not worth risking my ESA over, maybe i just wanted to feel useful again

thanks for the advice guys
tink

NYM

I'm convinced there is no 'rule' broken if you just instruct him in how to do his own admin..
You'd not technically be working, you'd just be advising him but of course, he wouldn't be able to pay you anything unfortunately.

fishybusiness

Two options really

1) Do it when you are able, see it as helping out at home with skills you have.

2) Declare it and be paid for it.

My partner does it for me, our business pays her 2 hours per week to do the books, receipts etc and keep the accounts up to date. She is ESA support group.

The powers that be have requested her wage slips, no hassle and all above board.