ESA for my mother

louise123 · August 2017

can i get some advice for my disabled mother please....

louise123 · August 2017

my mother as numerous health issues , she was awarded ESA in the support group component, unfortunately she was refused PIP , after several times applying and concerns over how it was affecting her we decided to not appeal against their decission and leave it to their ignorance. In time If we as a family could assist her into doing a very small amount of paid work probably around 4-6 hours per week to assist her financially and mentally , how would this affect benefits she currently receives

CockneyRebel · August 2017

Unfortunately the DWP have made claiming PIP very difficult, often relying on people giving up when they do deserve some kind of help. Have you tried completing the on line self test for your mother ?

louise123 · August 2017

i didnt know there was anything on line and this evening is my first attempt for advice , do you know if we can get her to do some paid work what would happen to her benefits as we arent sure she would be able to manage although it would benefit her financially and mentally ,thanx for taking time to respond

CockneyRebel · August 2017

for a self test for PIP
https://www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/personal-independence-payment-pip/pip-points-system
also another source of good advice

steve51 · August 2017

Hi @louise123

We have got the benefit calculator on our home page.

Please let me know if I can point you in the right direction for this ???

What benefits is she currently on is it just ESA ???

Liam_Alumni · August 2017

Hi @louise123,

Citizens Advice have a useful page on their website about permitted work when in receipt of ESA which you may find helpful.

@BenefitsTrainingCo, do you have anything to add?

BenefitsTrainingCo · August 2017

Hi louise123. Permitted work is a great idea, but your mother needs to approach it with caution. All ESA permitted work earnings are disregarded for all benefits. You must earn under £120 a week, and work fewer than 16 hours. However, the work you do needs to be relatively casual, and the skills or abilities you need to do the work must not contradict the reasons you get ESA. Your mother needs to make sure that any permitted work she takes on doesn't immediately alert the DWP into thinking she is suddenly much 'better', as in some cases this can trigger another work capability assessment. The best kind of permitted work is really something which is quite relaxed, where you won't be sacked if you're too unwell to go in that day, and where you can truthfully say that the conditions/limitations which got you into the support group in the first place are still the case. The DWP now prefer people to download this permitted work form and send it in: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/604276/permitted-work-form-pw1.pdf
This shows that you have read and understood the rules. I would also have a look at the Citizens Advice page mentioned above - it's really good. Don't be put off by what I'm saying; just be a bit careful! I would also follow up on what Cockney Rebel is saying about not just accepting the PIP refusal - if necessary, get some help from a local advice agency such as Citizens Advice to help you prepare a future claim or appeal against this decision if you can.
I hope this helps,

Jayne

ESA for my mother

Replies