voluntary work while on esa and dla.

Hello my name is andrew and I wondered if anyone can give me some advice about whether it would be a good advice to do some voluntary work while on esa benefit and dla.I am worried that the D.W.P. and atos will say I am fit for work and stop my benefits.I suffer from depression and anxiety and the voluntary work was suggested while i was on a course for the A4e providor.I know voluntary work is classed as permitted work but i have heard it is used against you by atos.any advice would be welcome.I cannot afford to lose my benefits and be migrated onto jsa.If this happens I will have to leave my house of 20 years because i won't be able to afford the bills.

regards andrew

Hi Andrew,

There are two things that you need to be aware of. Firstly, as you have suggested, it is really important that whatever you do does not conflict with the impairments you have described on your ESA50. So, for instance, it would raise a few eyebrows if you were delivering leaflets door-to-door and had stated that you cannot mobilise unaided for 50 meters! Of course, if your condition were to improve so that things become possible, you should notify DWP of this anyway.

The other thing to consider is to be absolutely sure that the DWP agree that the work you are doing is truly voluntary. There are some rules relating to this that you might not have anticipated (for instance, this must not be a role that other people are being paid to carry out).

Permitted work is a little different but, again, you should ensure that it does not counter the claims you have made on your ESA50 and that DWP accept this as permitted work

Permitted Work

Don't do it! A4E person advised me to join a volunteering or community group as part of my recuperation for stress; I took her advice and joined a local community music group which was then cited as one of the decisions to award me zero points at my recent limited capability for work medical.

You can't win!

Happiness

, I would be very wary of any agency suggesting their client take up voluntary work. Many such agencies have targets to meet to show that clients have made progress. Client entering employment or voluntary work or education = target met for agency therefore payment often from government.

Not all agencies are this mercenary, but I have seen many in which the client is the least of their concerns.

BEWARE!