Supported / permitted work on ESA

[Orangesandlemons77]

Hi has anyone done this? I'm worried it might trigger an investigation. I would like to try though. Hate the way they make it so hard at times.

The best way to do it/find out about it is to go to your local job centre and ask for an ESA adviser or DEA. There may not be one available straight away as the former are being faded out due to UC migration, but someone should know about permitted work. Alternatively a place like Remploy could advise.

From memory, you need to fill out a form first to get it agreed, but I've done them retrospectively with customers and it's never been an issue, providing it's not years and years later when you get caught by fraud! I think you can do up to 16 hrs/week, there may also be an earnings limit but I can't remember. It's a benefit centre decision to allow it and process it, so you could try phoning them but the lines get very busy.

Good luck.

Thanks!

They have put me in a group about completing tasks (support group) is it correct that they look at this to decide if the work is suitable?

I can't think of a job which doesn't involve tasks...but I guess would say take more time or with support etc. Bit worried about this.

Also do I need to tell the employer it is permitted work? It would be my old employer but on a much more part time basis, simpler work.

As far as I remember, you don't have to tell your employer. I think the checks are to make sure it's legit and so they have a record of it.

With regards to the task thing, I don't think that's not what they look at. The idea is to help you do some kind of work so it would make sense that if you got zero marks for the "tasks" section to allow you to try work with tasks so you can build up to being able to do some tasks. Sorry, that makes sense in my head but not sure if I've explained it very well. Say it's anxiety and you struggle in new situations, a job where you gently had to begin to be in various new situations would be good.

It's been a few years since I dealt with this though so you really are better off speaking to someone in the benefit centre or the job centre as I don't want to give you wrong information

Thanks again. Sounds like I could ask at the jobcentre before filling in the form and check it out before actually taking on anything, to see if it is OK. The last thing i want is to trigger a review. They have just said that they don't intend to review me again for ESA as my conditions are longstanding so I don't want to rock the boat there.