Working self employed whilst on universal credit

Julzei90

I need some advice about working for deliveroo whilst claiming universal credit.

I’ve been in a psychiatric unit for a month so have been unable to work. I am currently on universal credit which is roughly £300 a month and is not really enough to cover all of my expenses.

I’ve been thinking about working for deliveroo but I’m not sure if it’s worth it as I can only scrape a few hours here and there and it makes my universal credit payments go down.

I’ve been advised to not work by my mental health team and have submitted a personal independence payment application form but I’ve heard they are quite hard to get and haven’t had much luck in the past.

I’m just quite stuck for cash as I have over £1000 to pay back paypal.

[Deleted User]

Your earnings from self employment would still need to be taken into consideration for the calculation of your UC each month during each assessment period.

This may help..

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/universal-credit-and-self-employment-quick-guide

tacpot12

Working for Deliveroo could be a viable option, but if you only do a few hours here and there, the DWP will not accept that you are fully employed. I expect that they would not change your claimant commitment if you start working; this could put you under additional pressure, which may be why your mental health team have advised you not to work.

Whether or not your UC payment will go down will depend on whether you have been assessed as having a limited capability for work. If you have a limited capability for work, you will have a 'work allowance', that is money you are allowed to earn without losing any UC payment. The amount of the work allowance depends on whether you receive help with your housing costs as part of your UC payment. If you have no work allowance, or you earn more than your work allowance, you will only loose 63% of your earnings from your UC payment, which means that you would be keeping 37% of them, so working would give you some extra income.

It sounds like you should be asking for a work capability assessment if you have not already done so or you have already had such an assessment. Your mental health team think that working is not good for you at present, and they are likely to have a good insight into what you can and can't do.

nicechap

Julzei90 wrote: »

I need some advice about working for deliveroo whilst claiming universal credit.

I’ve been in a psychiatric unit for a month so have been unable to work. I am currently on universal credit which is roughly £300 a month and is not really enough to cover all of my expenses.

I’ve been thinking about working for deliveroo but I’m not sure if it’s worth it as I can only scrape a few hours here and there and it makes my universal credit payments go down.

I’ve been advised to not work by my mental health team and have submitted a personal independence payment application form but I’ve heard they are quite hard to get and haven’t had much luck in the past.

I’m just quite stuck for cash as I have over £1000 to pay back paypal.

Although I'm a believer in work being good for one's sense of self worth, being self sufficient and enjoy treats, etc etc, you need to listen to your mental health team. I've no doubt debt worries can add to your condition but your team should be able to put you in touch with people who can help you manage the problem, say by agreeing repayment plans or explaining which debts can be delayed etc etc.

Getting better should be your first priority.

The link below explains things better than I could and provide some contact pointers.

https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/tips-for-everyday-living/money-and-mental-health/#.XNhWCC-ZOqA