One off payment affecting benefits?

Hi,

I wondered if anyone knew the answer to this. Although I suspect I already know it.
I'm on HB and IS, and have been offered £50 to write a short article for a disability mag.
Although I'd like the money, I imagine that I would have to report it to the council as income? Or is there anything about one off payments?
I haven't had any other earnings for several years, and dont anticipate any other earnings.. ever again!
Thankyou.

Hi Rachel,

I don't know about HB, but when on IS, you can earn up to £20 per week without affecting your IS. Perhaps someone else knows about HB.

If it's OK whilst on HB, ask the disability magazine to pay you 2 x £20 payments and a £10 payment over 3 weeks.

Sorry I can't be more helpful.

Good luck.

Jim

Beware if you declare it to the DWP. One year, I earned four lots of £20 participating in consultation/research sessions, and declared it to the DWP. There then followed letter after letter demanding copies of payslips. They couldn't get their head round the notion that reputable public institutions will give you £20 cash-in-hand to sit round a table and talk.

I imagine it would be the same with this, so if they ask if you've earned anything, make sure you've got some nice pieces of paper from the magazine showing what they've paid you, when and what for, i.e "20 for first instalment of articles for publication..." Make sure it doesn't look like you're setting up a business. (Which, from the sound of it, you're not.)

Believe it or not, I was once randomly selected and paid £20 to say what I think of JCP at a small discussion group. I was told by the company running the survey (who was contracted by DWP) that it was not necessary to declare it.

If non disabled and single, isnt it £5.00 per week ?

I think so, that was the case when I was on JSA.