Support Group & self employed

RedKite

Hi folks, 
I'm in the support group and am wondering if I can work/self employed. I have an opportunity to earn money that I can do despite my disability. Can I work,  is there restrictions on the work I do and will doing so put my benefits at risk? I'm only 40/60 sure I can do this work and wouldn't want to go through applying for benefits again if it doesn't work out.

Thank you,
RedKite 

Sam_Alumni

Hi @RedKite I found this information from CAB:

You can do certain paid or unpaid work while you’re getting ESA and it won’t affect your benefit. This is called ‘permitted work’.
You can do permitted work whether you’re in the support group or the work-related activity group.
Permitted work means you can:

• work and earn up to £20 a week

• work less than 16 hours a week, and earn up to £120.00 a week for up to 52 weeks (there’s no time limit of 52 weeks if you’re in the support group)

• do work that’s part of a treatment programme done under medical supervision while you’re in hospital or attending as an out-patient

• work and earn up to £120.00 a week if it’s work that’s ‘supported permitted work’ - there’s no limit to the number of hours per week or length of time you can do

Supported permitted work is work that’s supervised by someone from a local council or a voluntary organisation whose job it is to arrange work for disabled people.

If you’re going to start doing permitted work, supported permitted work, or volunteering, you should tell the Department for Work and Pensions (the DWP) by calling the ESA helpline.

ESA helpline
Telephone: 0800 055 6688
Textphone: 0800 023 4888
Welsh language telephone: 0800 012 1888
Open Monday to Friday from 8.00am to 6.00pm

BenefitsTrainingCo

Hello. I agree with Sam that 'permitted work' is an excellent way of trying out some work before committing yourself to full time work and having to come off ESA. The information above is useful. There is also a new permitted work form which the DWP have just put onto their website:
www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/604276/permitted-work-form-pw1.pdf

It would be a good idea to print off this form and have a good look at it before you commit. I need to give a warning though! Permitted work has all kinds of positives (not least because any permitted work earnings are disregarded), but you do need to be careful. Sometimes the DWP can call you in for a reassessment of your ESA if they think it looks like you have 'got better' to the extent that you may not need ESA any more, or you may not satisfy the criteria for the Support Group any more. You need to be really sure that the reasons you got into the Support Group are still the case, and that any work you do does not contradict the reasons you get ESA.

It is also preferable that any permitted work you do is relatively casual - i.e it's the kind of work where you wouldn't get the sack if you were too unwell to go in. I'm not sure that self-employment really fits with permitted work (although other advisers may disagree with me). Although there's nothing in the regulations which prohibits it, I'm not sure that DWP would be that enthused about it and I think it might be better to save that option for when you decide to come off ESA. 
Good luck!

Jayne

RedKite

Thank you very much. My idea is to be employed less than 16 hours and at times that suit me. Your words have encouraged me and your highlighting of risk is appreciated. 
Mark