Benefits - a question.

[kendo59]

I'm currently on Incapacity Benefit (been 7 months now) and just started claiming Income Support.

My predicament is this:
I suffer bad depression (I resigned my last job in part due to stress/breakdown & why I'm still signed off work) and am on meds, but I feel my depression is not helped by being out of work. My GP has told me to not even think about going back to work in my state. I really want to get off the meds & get back into work, but I'm worried that if I start a job & come off benefits, and then I find I can't cope with the job and have to leave, it will screw my benefit claim up.

What I wondered about is doing some temp work, going back to work gradually, starting with one day per week, then maybe building up to 2 days a week, etc.

My question is:
Does anyone know how working, for example, one day per week, would affect my Incapacity Benefit or Income Support?

[kendo59]

I think I've read somewhere that you can work less than 16 hours per week, OR earn up to £80 per week, without it affecting Incapacity Benefit, for a period of up to 26 weeks?

[kendo59]

To get Income Support, you must work less than 16 hours a week. If you have a partner who lives with you, your partner must work under 24 hours a week.

[Karen]

Hi Kendo

Are you already claiming Incapacity benefit and income support. I am not sure about income support as I don't get that but I know there is such a thing as 'permitted work' that you can undertake while on incapacity benefit.

I found this:

You are allowed to do some paid work whilst claiming incapacity for work benefits. This is known as “permitted work”. You can:

• work for any number of hours for an unlimited period, as long as your weekly earnings are no more than £20.
• work for less than 16 hours per week and earn up to £88.50 per week. This is normally allowed for up to 52 weeks, if you can show that this will improve the chances of you getting full-time work. However, people who are exempt from the PCA can do this work for an indefinite period.
• do “supported permitted work” if you are employed by an authority or voluntary organisation that provides or finds work for people with disabilities.
• also do voluntary work for an unlimited number of hours.

Exemption from the PCA only applies if you are:

• registered blind
• assessed as 80 per cent disabled for severe disablement allowance, industrial injuries disablement benefit or war disablement pension
• or getting DLA higher rate care component
• or terminally ill
• or you have a prescribed chronic condition such as a severe muscle wasting disease or have been affected by a severe stroke.

So, you would need to look into the income support side of things but depending on your circumstances you would at the very least be able able to work unlimited hours as long as your don't earn more than £20, do 'supported permitted work', or unlimited voluntary work.

I found this information here if you want to read more.

Hope this helps a bit.

Karen x

[kendo59]

Do I understand this correctly?
So, in theory...
I can work up to 16 hours a week, AND my partner work up to 24 hours per week, AND I can get Incapacity Benefit PLUS Income support ?????

Or does the money I earn get deducted from the benefits?

[Karen]

I think it would be best to check with the Benefits Agency as it seemed a bit strange to me that they allow someone to earn £88.50 per week plus still claim all their benefits.

I'm also not sure how income support comes into it as that is a means tested benefit and I wouldn't imagine you would still qualify if getting incapacity and that much money for working.

I do know voluntary work doesn't affect benefits and I am pretty sure you are allowed to earn £20 without any loss of benefits. Other than that I am not sure. It seems more like a scheme to 'try out' returning to work and earning up to £88.50 to see if they can cope with working.

I would check with the benefits agency or the citizens advice bureau.

Karen x

[bumbles]

ther is also a start up thing aswell so you will not lose out if you cant manage they help you back into work gradually. Not sure but I think it might be called Sure start.

[Piglet]

Kendo I would be careful about the income support side of things because they seem to have rules of their own that arn't the same as incapacity benefit rules.

Given that the government are putting new initiatives into place to get people off benefit and back into work maybe your best bet would be to speak to an advisor at the job centre.

www.workandpensions.co.uk are also a good reference point.

Piglet

[pooh]

Kendo I would do voluntary work first to see how you go and feel about it all this isnt going to affect your benefits at all.
#
But you can get paid employment and earn so much without it affecting your benefits phone the advice shop or the cab for info.

[lennons_mammy]

You can work for less than 16 hours a week and still claim incapacity benefit but you can't work if you are getting income support.