How does permitted work affect ESA medical?

Hi

I am a new member and hope someone can help with my problem. My husband has had a stroke and he is in the WRAG. As we have had no support from the pathways to work people (what a waste of time that was) he has found some Work Related activity himself helping other people like him who have had strokes but are far more disabled. He is doing four afternoon sessions over the next month. This may lead to him being offered a few hours paid work which would be classed as permitted work.

Two things. He has a medical due and its on one of the days he is doing his activity. Do I cancel the activity and risk him losing the prospect of the job or cancel the medical and tell them why? The medical has already been cancelled once as he wasn’t well enough to go, annoyingly when I rang them the doctor had also rung in sick but no-one had told us.

His specialist has told us that he will never go back to his old job and finding a job that he can do because of the effects of his brain damage will be very difficult. She is adamant he is not fit for work currently and will need a long period of adjustment and specialist support to go back into the workplace. I don’t have the actual report yet as he is still be assessed.

My husband is desperate to at least try to do something. This little job if it happens would be perfect as they have the resources he needs and support staff who can help him, its part time and very casual. I thought the system was designed to help people get back into work but I’ve read so many horror stories about ATOS using people’s attempts to help themselves as an excuse to declare them fit for work. Curiously the ESA50 arrived four days after I rang the DWP to enquire about permitted work.

I think Catch 22 must be required reading for these people, if you don’t do Work related activity they stop your benefit for not doing anything and if you do try to help yourself they stop your benefit by pretending you’re fit.

I would be grateful for anyone’s thoughts or experiences.

The guide entitled "Permitted Work" may answer your question, and it can be found in the section entitled Work Resources.

Thanks for your reply. I have read this already and this is why I have concerns. My husband has brain damage which the specialist has advised is far worse in some aspects than we had anticipated. The tasks that he will be doing are not very taxing and will give him the opportunity to test himself in a real life environment rather than the test conditions at the hospital. Frankly he wants his life back and whilst there is supposed to be a middle way of supporting people ike him back into the workplace the reality seems to be all or nothing.

Abilities reliably demonstrated over time through permitted work, may well be used against the claimant.