Are you a young disabled person aged 16 or over? Do you want to know more about the disability benefits and resources out there if you want to go to work, or keep working as an employee? The team at The University of Sheffield’s My Life, My Choice Project have put together this information on what’s currently out there.
Disability benefits for employees
Employees in receipt of Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) can undertake some paid or unpaid work while claiming. This is defined as ‘permitted work’, or ‘supported permitted work’.
An employee doing permitted work can do any role as long as they work part time (no more than 16 hours per week). Employees can be in either the support group or the work-related activity group and still do. Employees about to start permitted work, need to fill in the permitted work form and return this to the Jobcentre Plus office that pays their ESA.
‘Supported permitted work’ is classed as either:
- supervised by someone from a local council or voluntary organisation whose job it is to arrange work for disabled people
- part of a treatment programme under medical supervision
How much an employee is able to earn on either permitted or supported permitted will vary so employees should find this out from the jobcentre before starting work.
Access to Work
Access to Work is a grant that helps disabled people find and stay in work. It is the disabled person who applies for the grant but can complete it with support from their employer and can be used to help someone return to work.
To be able to apply, you must:
- have a disability or health condition (physical or mental) that makes it hard for them to do parts of their job or get to and from work
- be 16 or over
- live in England, Scotland or Wales – there’s a different system in Northern Ireland
You will need a paid job, or be about to start or return to one. A paid job includes:
- an apprenticeship
- a work trial or work experience
- an internship.
You can claim for Access to Work while on ESA if you are doing permitted work.
Access to Work can be used for any support you need in the workplace including:
- travel
- aids and adaptations
- communication support and
- to develop a mental health action plan
Further information plus application forms can be found at www.gov.uk/access-to-work.
