well this is probably no surprise but i have been looking over something in great depths and i am still no closer to an answer that i am looking for 
the question is ‘can i work without it affecting my benefits?’
i mean there is no way i could work full time its just totally unrealistic but i have been thinking and i think i could possibly work part time under 16 hrs as long as it is something i enjoy and is not stressful (like college)
i think i could manage that ‘maybe’
so i have been looking and there is this thing called permitted work and i have looked at it before but it always keeps coming up and i get excited, the last time i looked i asked the advice centre and they advised me not to try it because it is too risky and they could not garauntee that it would not effect my benefits so i didnt go for it and i ended up in college,
so i have been looking at it again but it is very, very tricky. how can i assure the benefits agency that i cannot work full time and come off benefits but i can do part time permitted work job under 16 hrs?
i can see there eyes rolling and i can hear them thinking ‘this guy cannot be serious’ they’ll think i’m a fraud, but i am not making this up.
permitted work would allow me to earn about £100 a week on top of benefits which is a substantial amount and i could really use that money. its not all about the money tho, to be fair i really need something to do and the money would be a bonus if i got that.
its just so hard to work out all of the legislation around this ‘permitted work’ you’d think it’d be easy but noooo, i wish someone could explain it clearly to me so that i could understand, all of these rules are just too confusing.
Try talking to the person who supervises you.
1 Like
guess i was hoping someone knew something about it here as i found nothing online,
i dont think many people do it because they are so scared to lose benefits etc,
i will talk to my vocational person (a charity), i just wish it was sooner seems to be dragging on a bit and my care team are reluctant to help for some strange reason
Good luck! I understand the need to work. I wish you success.
1 Like
You’re in the UK and I know nothing of how permitted work would be handled the UK. But I understand that even though the money would be a nice bonus, your working mainly for the mental stimulation and to heal and get stronger.
Do you have a case worker or a benefits councilor who can help you make head’s or tales of the red tape spaghetti?
1 Like
i’ve been talking to my dad and we are thinking about making me his carer and he wants a mobility car so it looks like he will give me something to do, only thing is that i havent got my driving license yet so i will need to work on that a bit harder, i have everything i need to pass its just actually doing the work and sitting the theory test,
idk why it is taking me so long to get it but i think i put a lot of pressure on myself to get my license before i kind of ‘blew a gasket’ which was another reason for the big breakdown when i was first sectioned.
if this works out i would be better financially but i said to my dad its not about the money anyway, still its a nice bonus i guess, i am still hoping i can do some permitted work on top of this but idk if that is possible, and there is also the benefits cap to think about bbut idk much about that just now.
its so complicated and it is a lot to think about but i am getting the forms tomorrow and hopefully it will work out alright.