I met a lady the other day who is on the pip esa & will be transferring over to UC very soon.

System

This discussion was created from comments split from:

Cat/ Mri scans....Agraphobia , severe anxiety.

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Anthony1234

Hi Everyone,

I have a question. I met a lady the other day who is on the pip esa & will be transferring over to UC very soon. She's told me she is going to work in a charity shop one day a week and possibly not declare it to UC. I believe you shouldn't be doing any work whlist on pip & uc.paid or unpaid. I'm.presuming she's going to try get into the lwcra group when she transfers from.esa to uc by filling out uc50. But how does that make sense when she's not declaring her voluntry work to uc. I've told her this is risky for any reviews with dwp & pip. Cause they bk it up with evidence plus she has .support workers too. Twice a week. Surely this is contradicting what she is saying abt her difficulties.. I'm.on pip.and uc atm and don't do anything cause of my disabilities. So why r some people going out there. When they r meant to be sick with disability? I wonder yr views on this? Is this right what's she's doing?

Holly_Scope

Hi @Anthony1234 I think you're able to work a certain number of hours whilst claiming UC, although you're right that it should be declared to them and it's nice that you're looking out for this lady by asking the question. I've added a link to a page I find helpful when looking at these type of situations which I hope will be helpful to you too. 😊

Work and claiming benefits | Disability charity Scope UK

It can be really isolating being at home, especially if you're alone a lot of the time, so I understand why this lady would want to get out and work and/or socialise a little. Every individual's situation is different and what a person feels they can manage is individual to them. I think for some people, getting out a little can help in many ways including mental well-being. I know for me, if I'm alone a lot even just getting out in to the fresh air has a major impact on my mental health. 🙂

Best wishes,

Holly.

OverlyAnxious

On ESA, there were rules for permitted work up to 16 hours per week. So it is perfectly acceptable for someone to work while claiming ESA.

When they migrate to UC, there are no hourly limits, it changes to a work allowance. Deductions start if they earn more then £404 per month. If they are currently in the Support Group for ESA, they are automatically entitled to the LWCRA rate of UC. They should not send a fit note or complete a work assessment.

PIP is not affected by work at all. Many people work and claim PIP.

You are right that if the work they do contradicts the reasons they were awarded the benefits then that can cause problems. But one day a week of volunteering won't generally contradict anything.

Carocat44

Overly anxious can I please ask what LWCRA means? I was in the support group & am awaiting judgement day… 🫣

Definitely lonely and isolating being at home a lot hats for sure. I’ve long wanted to volunteer but I’m too unreliable to even do once a week- the crossover between my illnesses/disabilities make so much impossible 😓

poppy123456

https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/964853#Comment_964853

LCWRA for UC is the same as ESA Support Group.