Care and support

Permitted work

Permitted work is the name for work that you can do while claiming incapacity benefit (or severe disablement allowance). It used to be called 'therapeutic work' (or 'therapeutic rules').

You can do some paid work without affecting your incapacity benefit. This is known as the permitted work rules. The rules allow you to try some paid work without the need for prior approval from a doctor but you will need to tell the jobcentre plus office before you start work. You will be able to:

• earn up to £20 a week. You can continue this work for as long as you are on benefit.
  
• work for less than 16 hours a week with earnings of up to £88.50 a week for 52 weeks – subsequent periods of work are allowed for 52 weeks but there must be a gap of at least 52 weeks between periods of working.
  
• It is work supervised by a person employed by a public or local authority or voluntary organisation that helps people with disabilities into work and you earn £88.50 a week or less. This work can continue for an unlimited period.
  
• You are exempt for the personal capability test as you are deemed to be incapable of work. You work less than 16 hours a week with earnings of up to £88.50 a week. This work can continue for an indefinite period.
  
• You are participating in a government programme set up to help people try out self employment for a period of up to 26 weeks and you earn £88.50 a week or less.
  
• It is part of a hospital treatment programme done under medical supervision and you earn £88.50 a week or less. This work can continue for an unlimited period.
  

You will be able to carry on getting incapacity benefit while doing permitted or supported work without it affecting your benefit but if you are on income support or housing benefit or council tax benefit, any earnings above £20 will still mean a cut in your benefits.