PIP, ESA, working and student finance?

Currently I am off work sick. I received 6 months statutory sick pay but that ended after 6 months.

Currently my income is PIP and student finance.

I am hoping to go return to work soon part time and I am told this won’t effect my PIP.

I have looked online and it seems I may be eligible for ESA

Can you get PIP and ESA and student finance and work part time all at the same time?

Reply 1

username2235829

I'm sure you can as they ask about income and have a benefits section but maybe contact the benefit people to find out
i know that PIP is to help people, its not disability benefit and you can work with it
im sure you would be eligible as you probably wont make a huge amount altogether so should be fine :smile:

Reply 2

Pathway

Original post by Sadieleigh95

This is complicated.

PIP doesn't affect ESA. It's not a means-tested benefit.

If you have enough NI contributions you will be placed on CB-ESA. If you have an entitlement to IR benefits (aka you have under 16k savings) you will have an IR top-up. If you are on CB-ESA you have to pass the WCA. If you qualify under IR-ESA then you automatically pass the WCA, but you still have to see if you pass the Limited Capability for Work Related Activity test (aka if you are support group or not). If you live in a UC area (which is an IR benefit) then same rules apply as IR-ESA. You have to be enrolled as a full-time student as well in either case.

If you can work part-time then you will struggle to be approved for ESA. If you are approved you might be able to undertake permitted work for a maximum of 16hrs/week or earn under a specific amount.

tbh, your question is really complicated. You need to go to CAB. But really if you can manage part-time work and full-time university you will most likely not get approved for ESA. Are you going to be enrolled at university full-time?

Information about ESA/PIP and being a student. Scroll down to the bit about "can I claim ESA as a full-time student?"

Reply 3

Pathway

Original post by CaitlinFashion

It is a disability benefit (you have to be disabled to get it), but it's not means-tested and you can work while you're on it and if you're unable to work you can also be on it.

Reply 4

username2235829

Original post by Pathway

It is a disability benefit (you have to be disabled to get it), but it's not means-tested and you can work while you're on it and if you're unable to work you can also be on it.

yes I know i mean its not a disability benefit as in disability living allowance, where in some cases people are not fit to work whereas with PIP, you can

Reply 5

Pathway

Original post by CaitlinFashion

yes I know i mean its not a disability benefit as in disability living allowance, where in some cases people are not fit to work whereas with PIP, you can

They're both disability benefits. PIP replaced DLA; they're essentially the same thing with slightly different criteria.

Reply 6

username2235829

Original post by Pathway

They're both disability benefits. PIP replaced DLA; they're essentially the same thing with slightly different criteria.

i didnt say they werent both disability benefits, i said PIP is not DLA
i am aware that PIP has replaced DLA, what i was saying was when some people were granted DLA, they were declared unfit to work
in reference to PIP, before it replaced DLA (and probably now), people can work and still receive it and when PIP and DLA were two different things, people on the high rate (and maybe others, I only know about the DLA high rate) couldn't work as they were declared unable
what i was saying was that if she has PIP and can work, she probably wont have enough to be rejected for student finance but it told her to double check, i didnt say PIP wasnt a disability benefit, i said it was different to DLA, which it did used to be

Reply 7

Pathway

Original post by CaitlinFashion

You can work on DLA.

Tbh, idk what you're talking about because it doesn't really make sense.

Reply 8

username2235829

Original post by Pathway

You can work on DLA.

Tbh, idk what you're talking about because it doesn't really make sense.

it makes perfect sense, youre just not understanding
i didn't say you couldn't work on DLA, i said SOME people are declared unfit to work when put on DLA
not all people, some people
but oh well anyway
to the original poster: hope you get everything sorted out :smile:

(edited 5 years ago)

Reply 9

Tiger Rag

Your student finance whether you take it or not, will count as income (apart from some of it, such as your tuition fee loan) for income based ESA.

You may find that you're now in a universal credit area and have to claim that instead.

ESA is for those who can't work; so can't understand how you'd be able to work part time. (I do believe they're doing away with permitted work)