I have been offered 20hrs but this will mean coming off esa?

sassy

Hi i am on esa and pip for bipolar. I get full hb. I currently work under approx 12 hrs a wk at 9.07. I have been offered 20hrs but this will mean coming off esa. What will happen? Will i get working tax creds or any back to work benefits. I get that it is about moving forward and not just about the money. Some days i feel i could cope with more work and others definitely not. Need to know my financial position too tho and am scared to go to job centre at this stage as i believe they will see my consideration as a fit for work definate! Bit confused. Can anyone help pls... 

BenefitsTrainingCo

Hi sassy,

You're right - if you work 16 hours or more per week in something which isn't 'supported work' that does mean you don't meet the conditions for ESA any more. Supported work is something supervised by an organisation which supports disabled people (a charity, local authority etc). Also, even in supported work, you must earn no more than £120 a week, and you would be earning more than that, so your ESA would definitely stop if you took the 20 hours offer.

So, if you took the job, this is what would happen. ESA would stop. Your full HB would continue for another 4 weeks. After that, I can't tell you exactly as it would depend on your earnings and tax credits (you might still get some 'in-work' HB). You could definitely get Working Tax Credit as a disabled person working over 16 hours a week. Any help you get with the council tax could also be affected. If you are in an area where Universal Credit has started for disabled people, you would have to claim Universal Credit instead of Working Tax Credit, and this would also replace any HB. 

You can check if Universal Credit has started in your area and for your circumstances here.

I can't tell you amounts, as these depend on all sorts of other factors including who you live with and what rate of PIP you are on. But you could pretend you are going to take the extra hours and use a benefits calculator to check what you will get. 

I hope this helps. I think you're right not to mention this to the Jobcentre for now, especially if you are not sure whether you would cope with the extra hours.

Will