** The Permitted Work Guide has been updated and is correct from October 2011**
Benefit rules are very complex, but changes to Housing Benefit from 1st April 2010 brought a welcome change. Many people are now able to earn and keep up to £93 a week, as well as their incapacity-related benefits.
Who is this guide for? This guide is written for you if you get benefits because a health condition or disability makes it difficult to work but you would like to work part-time. You can use it to work out what you can earn before the “benefits trap” affects you.
Who else might use this guide? You might also want to discuss it with a friend, family member, support worker or employer.
What does ‘Permitted Work’ mean? If you get benefits because a health condition or disability makes it difficult to work, you can earn some money before your benefits are affected. Jobcentre Plus calls this ‘'Permitted Work'’.
It means you can work under 16 hours a week and the amount you can earn depends on the type of benefit you get and your personal circumstances.
Select the 'Online Permitted Work Guide' to complete the interactive flowchart.
If you use the Firefox browser, you will need to open the Online Permitted Work Guide file with Internet Explorer or Google Chrome.
Created by Social Firms UK with benefits information from Judy Scott Consultancy
