Support Group ESA & part time work

Morris29

Hi, I wonder if anyone can offer advice or insight please.

My Mother receives ESA and is in the support group, this is due to being mentally unwell and spending a number of months in hospital relating to her illness a couple of years ago.

In order to give her some independence and try and integrate her with other people / back into society / giving her a purpose etc she is interested in doing some part time work.

From what I understand, she can work up to 16hrs per week and not earn anymore than £125.50 after tax.

A job has arisen and before applying I wondered :

The job is part time and only 38 weeks per year, some weeks there would be 10hrs available and others up to 15, however, the hourly pay is around £9. As it is a term time job, does this mean that she could work / earn more than the stated £125.50 as over the full year she’d be earning less than the allowance? Same question applies for the number of hours.

Is there any likelihood that gaining employment would affect her benefits? I’ve read that it doesn’t but wonder if it means they’ll want to reassess her?

If she does apply and is successful, at what point do you tell the benefits office? After probationary period has been passed or before?

She also has council tax benefit and the mortgage interest loan, will either of these be affected?

Many thanks

Rubyroobs

If she is planning on doing permitted work and keeping her Esa then as I understand it she would need to tell the DWP before she starts the work.

TELLIT01

Income isn't averaged over a year, but can be averaged over a few weeks if the amount varies. She should inform DWP before she starts the job, although DWPs own forms and website used to contradict themselves as to whether it was essential to inform them in advance.

poppy12345

If the work she does contradicts the reason she's claiming ESA it could mean they'll assess her early and it could go against her when she's next re-assessed.

calcotti

TELLIT01 wrote: »

Income isn't averaged over a year, but can be averaged over a few weeks if the amount varies. She should inform DWP before she starts the job, although DWPs own forms and website used to contradict themselves as to whether it was essential to inform them in advance.

For term time only workers it appears earnings can be averaged over a full year https://www.turn2us.org.uk/Benefit-guides/Working-hours-benefits-rules/Calculating-work-hours-Term-Time-Workers. (I admit I can’t find this in Decision Makers Guide.)

However In this case if the hours are going to vary from week to week meaning there is no discernible pattern then I think it may fall to be taken on A week by week basis in which case there will be no entitlement to ESA in any week in which either the hours worked or earnings limit are breached.

TELLIT01

calcotti wrote: »

For term time only workers it appears earnings can be averaged over a full year https://www.turn2us.org.uk/Benefit-guides/Working-hours-benefits-rules/Calculating-work-hours-Term-Time-Workers. (I admit I can’t find this in Decision Makers Guide.)

However In this case if the hours are going to vary from week to week meaning there is no discernible pattern then I think it may fall to be taken on A week by week basis in which case there will be no entitlement to ESA in any week in which either the hours worked or earnings limit are breached.

It's been quite a while since I worked on ESA, but there is something buzzing around in the back of my mind about using a 5 week period if there is no discernible cycle. I may be wrong, and it may have changed. That may also only be true if no week exceeds the upper pay limit.

calcotti

OP, before starting any work within permitted work rules your mum needs to inform DWP by completing a PW1 form https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/employment-and-support-allowance-permitted-work-form