LCWRA and selling items crafts made as a hobby

SPheasant

I’m in the LCWRA group because I have very severe mental health issues (BD, BPD, GAD) and I find creative hobbies are a good way to manage it (keeps me busy, sense of accomplishment etc). I’ve been encouraged to sell some of them as people have expressed interest in buying, and I’ve had a look online and it seems they do actually sell. (They’re hand-painted false nails.)

Would this count as work, if actually making things is a way I manage my health? I wouldn’t be making any profits as the materials cost more than what I’d be able to charge, and I only do it for a few hours a week when I’m feeling up to it. I’m concerned this will be viewed as work and I’ll lose the LCWRA element. 

poppy123456

It depends on how much you sell. Personally, i would prefer to report the changes that you're working and then you're covering yourself. There's no limits on how many hours or how much you can earning when you have LCWRA. You will have the work allowance anyway, which means you can earn a certain amount each month before any deductions apply. See link. https://www.entitledto.co.uk/help/work-allowance-universal-credit

There won't be a problem unless the work you do contradicts the reasons you were found to have LCWRA. People do continue to work and claim this.

SPheasant

poppy123456 said:

It depends on how much you sell. Personally, i would prefer to report the changes that you're working and then you're covering yourself. There's no limits on how many hours or how much you can earning when you have LCWRA. You will have the work allowance anyway, which means you can earn a certain amount each month before any deductions apply. See link. https://www.entitledto.co.uk/help/work-allowance-universal-credit

There won't be a problem unless the work you do contradicts the reasons you were found to have LCWRA. People do continue to work and claim this.

Thank you! I was thinking I’d rather report it to be on the safe side, but I also wasn’t sure if it would be worth actually selling anything if it meant I lost out on the LCWRA because selling wouldn’t make up for the lost amount. Thank you for your help!  

Katielw2506

uc actually encourage people to work whilst in lcw/lcwra groups

The benefit you have is that whilst going self employed in lcwra you do not have any work commitments & therefore don’t need to worry about the mif or being found gainfully self employed. 

you wouldn’t lose your lcwra - so long as your work doesn’t contradict the reasons in which you get lcwra. Even then it would only be discussed at review time. 

calcotti

Katielw2506 said:
Even then it would only be discussed at review time. 

But a review can be started by DWP at any time.