ESA and permitted work

crashed

I have been on ESA for 3 years due to severe anxiety, agoraphobia and depersonalisation. I've been lucky that after 3 years of NHS mental health services and medicines failing, I was able to obtain a prescription from a private doctor for medical cannabis and I'm finally starting to get my head sorted. My question is...

I would like to start trying to do some self employment work. Its quite trivial, answering surveys and completing simple tasks on my computer. Not so much for the money, I just feel ready to try and get some routine back after not leaving the house for years, I feel it for me it could assist in my recovery at this stage in my illness... thinking about the future and how I now see my health improving it just seems like something I want to try. Earnings would be around £30-60 a week max.

Thing is, I dont trust the DWP. I'm terrified they will see the mere suggestion as a trigger for an assessment and every assessment puts me back at least 3 months in my mental health, I usually even stop contacting family for months after an assessment it makes me so ill. I feel like it's a catch 22, I want to answer surveys online as a type of pretend work, in exchange for not much, but its still an income and therefore work.

How likely is this to trigger an assessment, because I don't even know how ill cope with this goal I've set myself, I dont want to trigger assessments and the DWP when I don't actually know how it will turn out or even if I can cope with it once I try it.

Thanks

woodbine

Welcome to scope @crashed have a read of the link below re; permitted work

https://www.turn2us.org.uk/Benefit-guides/Employment-and-Support-Allowance-Permitted-Work/What-is-permitted-work-Employment-and-Support-All#:~:text=and Support Allowance.-,Permitted Work (Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)),the incapacity benefits ESA replaces).

Caz_Alumni

Hi @crashed

First of all, a big hello and welcome to the community! It's good to have you with us. 

That's totally understandable that you would want to do something for yourself to try and help with your recovery. But as you say, for your own sake you need to be sure that this is not going to trigger another assessment. 

Have you had an opportunity to have a look at the link above? Hopefully, that's given you a clearer picture of where you stand in relation to the types of permitted work that you could do - as well as anything that you might need to avoid.

Just give us a shout if there's anything else that we can help out with or you have any further questions for us.