Benefits and apprenticeships

ElliotHarveyy

I am claimg ESE and DLA and would like to start an Apprenticeship in  Media to study Filmmaking. If this were to happen. Would these be effected and how?

Pippa_Alumni

Hi @ElliotHarveyy, and a warm welcome to the community- sounds like a really interesting apprenticeship!

I've just been looking into this and I'm struggling to find a clear answer. I wonder if @Username_removed has any knowledge in this area?

BenefitsTrainingCo

ElliotHarveyy,

The first thing to say is that unfortunately, when you start work of any sort it's always possible that you will be reassessed (for ESA), or asked to claim PIP (if you were under 65 on 8 April 2013, this will happen sooner or later anyway). I'd bear in mind that if you still have the same need for help at home/out and about, and the same limitations, then you shouldn't lose your benefits because you work. In other words, unless your condition has got better, or treatment/therapy for it has improved what you can do, there should be nothing to worry about.

If you're unsure how the activities of the apprenticeship might overlap with the activities for ESA, the ESA activities are here. DLA works differently as it is to do with your mobility and/or the help you need at home, but as long as this hasn't changed, it should be fine. However, do bear in mind that you'll eventually have to claim PIP anyway (the PIP activities are here, and you need 8 points in each component to get it). It is possible that telling the DWP about the apprenticeship may trigger them to tell you to claim PIP.

In terms of DLA (and PIP), any income from your apprenticeship is disregarded. For ESA, you can do what is called 'permitted work'. An apprenticeship counts as work because you are paid. You can work as long as you are on average working less than 16 hours a week, and don't earn more than £125.50 a week. Any income you get which falls within these limits is disregarded and doesn't affect your ESA.

Unfortunately, if you are going to be working for 16 hours or more, or regularly earn more than the permitted work earnings limit of £125.50, you can't get ESA any more.

If it's not an apprenticeship as such, and you don't get earnings but you do get student income, the advice would be different. I've based this advice on the assumption that you'll be paid as an apprentice (it should be at least £3.70 an hour by the way, in the first year of an apprenticeship).

I hope you are able to go ahead with your plans. Do ask again if you need more advice.

Will