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Permitted Work
If you want to try some paid work while getting Employment & Support Allowance, Incapacity Benefit, Severe Disablement Allowance, National Insurance Credits or Income Support because of illness or disability then this is possible under the Permitted Work Rules.
Permitted Work is purely a benefit arrangement - employers don't offer 'permitted work' - it's still down to looking at part-time job vacancies, applying for them, going for interviews and being offered a job. But these arrangements allow you to try some paid work still remaining on benefits. You can do a job under the Permitted Work Rules without the need for prior approval from a doctor.
You can work:
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for earnings of up to and including £20.00 a week for an unlimited period, or |
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for less than 16 hours a week, on average, with earnings up to and including £92.00 a week for a 26 week period. The period can be extended for another 26 weeks if a Personal Adviser at the Jobcentre or Disability Employment Adviser agrees that it will help you towards work of 16 or more hours a week. |
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in supported permitted work for earnings of up to and including £92.00 a week for an unlimited period. Supported permitted work is work done with the ongoing support or supervision from a professional caseworker (employed or engaged by a public body or voluntary organisation), for example via WorkWAYS. This could be work done in the community or in a sheltered workshop. It also includes work done under medical supervision as part of a hospital treatment programme. |
You do not have to undergo a medical test (Personal Capability Assessment) just because you are doing permitted work. However, if a medical test is due as part of your regular benefits-related review it will go ahead as planned.
You can carry on getting Employment & Support Allowance (ESA), Incapacity Benefit (IB) or Severe Disablement Allowance (SDA) while doing permitted work without it affecting your benefit. If you get Income Support, Housing Benefit or Council Tax Benefit your benefit will be reduced if your average earnings are more than your earnings disregard. However, Dept for Work & Pensions has announced that from April 2010, the Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit earnings limit will be increased to £92.00 a week for people receiving contributory ESA, IB and SDA who also do permitted work. This means that people who receive contributory ESA, do permitted work and receive housing benefit will be able to work and earn up to £92 before their housing benefit will be affected. This aligns the rules with those that already apply to people who receive income-related ESA.
Applying for approval from Jobcentre Plus to work under the Permitted Work Rules is done on one of the most simplest and shortest forms you'll ever come across - click here to download the form (a PW1).
It is now also possible to get additional support under the Access to Work programme for employment under the Permitted Work rules. Contact the Access to Work Advisor via your local Jobcentre Plus office or Disability Employment Advisers for more information.