Looking for advice on what benefit entitlements I might have.

Trenowrath

Hi , Newbie here. I'm trying to negotiate the benefits system and would appreciate any help.

I am self employed and have a back problem which means I can only work half my normal 37 hours within my business. This condition has persisted for 6 months. As such I have suffered a reduction in income. I have been given a 'fit note' by my doctor on the expectation of receiving Employment Support Allowance. However, despite having made enough NI contributions, this claim has been turned down because my reduced hours are regarded as excessive and have earned too much (£18k pa).

I'm 57, single, with a small mortgage. I would appreciate any advice on what my benefit entitlements might be, ie Universal Credit, PIP etc.

Many thanks.
 

Brie

Best thing to do initially is to look at "entitledto"  Benefits Calculator - entitledto - independent | accurate | reliable

When you see what might be an option you may want to talk to citizen's advice about how to deal with the claims and deal with those where you have been rejected.

poppy12345

Trenowrath said:

Hi , Newbie here. I'm trying to negotiate the benefits system and would appreciate any help.

I am self employed and have a back problem which means I can only work half my normal 37 hours within my business. This condition has persisted for 6 months. As such I have suffered a reduction in income. I have been given a 'fit note' by my doctor on the expectation of receiving Employment Support Allowance. However, despite having made enough NI contributions, this claim has been turned down because my reduced hours are regarded as excessive and have earned too much (£18k pa).

I'm 57, single, with a small mortgage. I would appreciate any advice on what my benefit entitlements might be, ie Universal Credit, PIP etc.

Many thanks.
 

For Universal Credit (UC) your maximum entitlement before deductions will only be £393.45/month. Any earnings you receive will reduce this by 55p for every £1 of earnings you receive each month. 

If your earnings are more than 16 x NMW/week then you will not be able to be referred for a work capability assessment, unless you're claiming PIP.

You can take a look at PIP but whether there's any entitlement will depend on how exactly your health conditions affect you. This link may help you have some understanding of the descriptors and criteria. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/personal-independence-payment-assessment-guide-for-assessment-providers/pip-assessment-guide-part-2-the-assessment-criteria#daily-living-activities

More info here. https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/sick-or-disabled-people-and-carers/pip/