Starting work or increasing working hours can be difficult, especially if you have a disability or illness. Amongst the worries you may have are how your benefits will be affected. It can be complex but how the benefits are affected will depend on the type of benefit you are in receipt of:

PIP, DLA and AA

Personal Independence Payment (PIP), Disability Living Allowance (DLA), or Attendance Allowance (AA) are not affected by the amount you earn. However, the type of work you do can have an impact. Whilst there is no requirement to report that you have started work, if there has been a change in your condition or level functioning this does need to be reported. Your job description or tasks should not contradict any of the reasons that you have been awarded the benefit. For example, if you advised PIP that in addition to your injury you experience anxiety or depression , making it difficult to engage with others yet your job requires you to be on the phone or in meetings there could potentially be a conflict. However, it could be the case you can only manage the role with extra support, flexibility in the hours you work and other reasonable adjustments this would need to be taken into account. For more information see:

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/sick-or-disabled-people-and-carers/pip/help-with-your-claim/how-decisions-are-made/

Employment Support Allowance 

If you are receiving Contributory or New Style ESA, you should tell the office that deals with your benefit claim that you are starting work. You can continue to receive it if you:  

• you work less than 16 hours a week
• you do not earn more than £195.50 a week
• your Work Coach agrees that you are doing permitted work

This means you could increase your income by £195.50 a week without losing your benefit.

https://www.gov.uk/employment-support-allowance/working-while-you-claim

Other Benefits 

If you are receiving any means tested benefits such as Income Related Employment Support Allowance, Universal Credit, Housing Benefit or Council Tax Benefits the rules are complex. It can be difficult to navigate the system however, do not assume you will be worse off by working. For example, if you have been assessed as having limited capability for work via Universal Credit a minimum work allowance of £411 a month is applied -  which means you can earn this without it affecting the amount you are paid.

Often working is better not just financially but for our own self-worth and mental wellbeing, which in turn, may help your physical health whilst increasing financial health. However, as the benefit rules are complex, we advise that you have a benefit check to see how your benefits could be affected so you have all the information you need to be able to decide if doing some work is right for you. To talk to a specialist Welfare Benefits Advisor, fill in the referral form below or call 020 8420 6711.

If you do have any concerns about your welfare benefits, contact our Welfare Benefits Service and speak to one of our trained Advisors. 

Thanks to a three-year grant from the National Lottery Partnerships Fund we have been able to work with the Spinal Injuries Association to deliver cost of living support to people with spinal cord injuries.

Referral form

Welfare benefits

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