ESA and self-employment

fizzied

Hi all. I receive contributory ESA and was placed in the support group. I am considering becoming self-employed, by renting out my property when I move in with my partner. 

I wonder if anyone has experience of moving into self-employment on ESA? Can it be done without being reassessed and potentially losing the benefit? If I make an application for permitted work, but it is rejected, could I be reassessed just for applying? Can they reassess my case even if they decide that the work is 'permitted'?

Pro-rata, the income would be less than £167 per week. I'm not sure exactly what hours the work will take. I will use an agent with full management services to minimise the work I have to do. My partner and family can also provide support if things need doing when I am not well enough, or if the workload would take me over the permitted hours.

I have ME/CFS, at the mild end of the spectrum, which has prevented me from maintaining desk/home-based work for the past 10 years. TBH I was a little surprised to be placed in the support group (having initially been rejected, but immediately got placed in the support group when I threatened to go to tribunal).

If you have any experience of self-employment and ESA I would be really interested to hear about it. Thanks