I'm on UC, ESA, and PIP. Would selling art in a "passive income" form affect my benefits?

Drifter86

Hey everyone,
I'm currently on Universal Credit, ESA and PIP due to severe mental health.
I create art and designs that have been a positive thing for me and I've wondered about whether it would be possible to sell in a "passive income" form of selling. Which is basically uploading a design file to a website and it may or may not sell to their current customer base.
If anyone here has any advice I'd appreciate it thanks,
Drifter

woodbine

@Drifter86 good afternoon and a very warm welcome to scope and our online forum.
My take on this is that any income would have to be declared.

chiarieds

Hi @Drifter86 - & welcome to the community. With ESA, you can work if it's less than 16 hours a week earning no more than £143 per week. With UC depending on whether you get help with your housing costs, you have a 'working allowance' of either £293 or £515 (no help with housing costs) per month before your earnings would affect your UC. For every pound you earn above this working allowance 63p would be deducted from your UC. PIP would not be affected unless any work you do contradicts the reason you were awarded PIP. You would only need to notify ESA & UC about starting work.

Drifter86

Thanks Woodbine,

Yes, thank you. I guess I'm wondering more about the likelihood of losing my severe disability premiums because they might mistake me potentially selling an artwork file as being "fit for work".
I have anxieties around "working" when on disability benefits as the government have harshly penalised people in the past for earning.

GeoffN

Drifter. My advice is contact CAB and also your MP. From my experience ESA stops after 1 year if you are in the WR Group and as I have over 16,000 I cannot get UC. A harsh system as you can't buy a House with 16,000. PIP is granted even if you are still in work. But get firm advice.

calcotti

Drifter86 said:..I guess I'm wondering more about the likelihood of losing my severe disability premiums because they might mistake me potentially selling an artwork file as being "fit for work".

Given the benefits you are on you don't actually have any severe disability premiums and I infer you mean the extra money for having LCWRA.

You will only prompt a new work capability assessment if the work you do contradicts the reasons you have been found to have LCW or LCWRA. DWP can choose to reassess you at any time anyway.

(Note that as you receive both ESA and UC even if you lost the ESA it would make no difference to your overall income as the ESA is deducted from your UC.)

GeoffN said:..My advice is contact ..your MP. ..

I cannot see that serving any useful purpose for OP.

Tori_Scope

Hi @Drifter86 I hope that the above replies have helped? 

I was also wondering whether you're receiving any support for your mental health at the moment? It's great that art and design has been a positive outlet for you.