Permitted work factsheet
Updated 8 April 2024
© Crown copyright 2024
This publication is licensed under the terms of the Open Government Licence v3.0 except where otherwise stated. To view this licence, visit nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3 or write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gov.uk.
Where we have identified any third party copyright information you will need to obtain permission from the copyright holders concerned.
This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/employment-and-support-allowance-permitted-work-form/permitted-work-factsheet
1. What is permitted work?
Permitted work can help you learn new skills, build your confidence and start thinking about types of work you could do.
If you have a disability, illness, or health condition you may be able to do some work and keep your payments and National Insurance credits for Employment and Support Allowance (ESA).
Permitted work means you can:
- work for less than 16 hours each week
- earn no more than £183.50 each week, after tax and National Insurance has been taken off
- get your normal amount of benefit
- build up your skills and experience
- be supported while you work - we call this supported permitted work.
There is no limit on the number of weeks you can do permitted or support permitted work for.
2. Supported permitted work
Supported permitted work is for people with a disability, illness or health condition who cannot work for more than a few hours each week. The work is supervised by a professional support worker. A professional support worker is someone who works for a public or voluntary organisation.
3. What you must do if you want to work
Before you start any work, you must fill in a permitted work PW1 form and post it to the address at the top of any ESA letters we have sent you. Please do not take this form into your Jobcentre Plus office.
If you think the work you want to do is supported permitted work, your professional support worker must fill in their section on the permitted work PW1 form.
We will tell you if the work you want to do meets the permitted work conditions. If you do work that does not meet the conditions, you could lose your benefit.
If you cannot tell us before you start work, you must fill in a permitted work PW1 form and send it back straight away.
To get a copy of the permitted work PW1 form, go to www.gov.uk and search for PW1 or call us on 0800 169 0310.
You must tell Jobcentre Plus straight away about any work that you are doing. If you do not, you may be paid too much ESA. You may also have to pay this back and pay a fine.
4. How can permitted work change your other benefits?
If you get another benefit because you are not working (for example Income Support, Housing Benefit or Council Tax Reduction), then your benefit may be reduced or stopped if you do any work. Please talk to your Jobcentre Plus work coach before you start any work.
If you get Housing Benefit or Council Tax Reduction and you are thinking of starting permitted work, you must talk to your local authority straight away, as the amount you get may change.
To contact your local authority go to www.gov.uk/find-local-council
5. Why DWP needs personal information and how we treat it
We treat personal information carefully. We may use it for any of our purposes. To learn more about information rights and how we use information, please visit www.gov.uk/dwp/personal-information-charter.