Form PW1

Hello, I'm looking for advice regarding permitted work. My son is currently on ESA (Support Group). He suffers from OCD and anxiety. As his condition has improved, he has been doing some voluntary work for a charity who care for adults with learning disabilities. In the main, this has gone well and has been beneficial to him. He now has the opportunity to register with the charity for 'bank work'. This would be paid work (unsupported) on an 'as and when' basis. With the volunteering, things have been quite flexible as regards starting times etc and he has not been under any real pressure. Obviously, the bank work will be more demanding and rigid in terms of starting times and so on and really it is very much a case of seeing how he copes.

He sees this opportunity as a possible way back into paid work but is under no illusions that it will be demanding for him. I understand he will have to contact the DWP for a form PW1 as this appears not to be available for download, although I have had sight of the form online. There is very little space on the form to give details of the work, or your reasons for wishing to do it, but I wondered if he should make a point of stressing that he is doing the work to see if he can cope with it and will have to see how it goes. Obviously, there is a concern that the DWP see him doing paid work, however infrequently, and decide he is better and able to come off ESA.

I would be glad of any advice from anybody who has been in a similar situation.

Thanks

Hello,
,
Further to my last post and Gordon's helpful reply, my son has now done some initial training for the bank work, although it could be some weeks before he is able to actually commence the work. Unfortunately, with perfect timing, an ESA50 has just popped through the letter box. This has caused him some anxiety as he was hoping to complete the PW1 and do some bank work, to see how he coped, in the knowledge that as long as his earnings/hours were within the permitted limits, he would still have the comfort of his benefit in case things didn't work out.

He is now concerned that if he starts the bank work (and obviously he will have to mention this on the ESA50) he will be re-assessed as fit for work, or at the very least transferred to the WRAG. Until he actually commences the work, there is no way of knowing how he will cope. Although much better than he was at the time of his last assessment, he still suffers from anxiety and depression, finds it difficult to get somewhere on time as it is hard for him to start to get ready until the last minute and he is still on medication.

I would be grateful for any guidance as to what he should actually say on his ESA50 regarding the possible bank work and if his fears of being re-assessed as fit for work/transferred to the WRAG as a result of attempting this work are realistic.

Thank you.

Thank you again Gordon,

It is quite possible that he will start the PW before a decision is made and from what you say, I think I am right in assuming that he needs to stress in the ESA50 that in undertaking the work he is very much seeing how things go. Quite simply, until he does the work, there is no way of knowing if he will manage it. As mentioned, he has done voluntary work for a few hours at a time, but has been under no real time pressures and start times have been later in the day, which he finds easier.

Elston