Trying to Earn on Disability Allowance

compo1

I hope this is the right forum to post this complicated question. Anybody able to advise?
Here goes;
At the moment I'm unemployed and suffering from long term illness. I'm getting Illness Benefit with Supplementary Welfare Allowance. The trouble is I'm seriously restricted in the type of work I can apply for and I've recently applied for Disability Allowance. (My GP says he's convinced I'd qualify)
DA would give me nothing extra from the State but allow me to take up therapeutic work and earn a certain amount of money. If this comes through, I'm considering freelancing in media work. Question is; if I earn anything outside of the DA, how do I handle tax, and how does it work with our Department of Total Dejection when the income is irregular and erratic?

Gatling

compo1 wrote: »

I hope this is the right forum to post this complicated question. Anybody able to advise?
Here goes;
At the moment I'm unemployed and suffering from long term illness. I'm getting Illness Benefit with Supplementary Welfare Allowance. The trouble is I'm seriously restricted in the type of work I can apply for and I've recently applied for Disability Allowance. (My GP says he's convinced I'd qualify)
DA would give me nothing extra from the State but allow me to take up therapeutic work and earn a certain amount of money. If this comes through, I'm considering freelancing in media work. Question is; if I earn anything outside of the DA, how do I handle tax, and how does it work with our Department of Total Dejection when the income is irregular and erratic?

The first part isn't so easy ,DA is the most difficult of payment to get your looking at at 12-18 month wait on a decision to be made on your claim and then expect it to be denied /rejected ,
If eventually you get sorted on DA you can work around 20hours per week if the work is considered rehabilitative to your condition,
As it stands people with heart bypass ,cancer ,amputation's regularly get refused DA

compo1

Gatling wrote: »

The first part isn't so easy ,DA is the most difficult of payment to get your looking at at 12-18 month wait on a decision to be made on your claim and then expect it to be denied /rejected ,
If eventually you get sorted on DA you can work around 20hours per week if the work is considered rehabilitative to your condition,
As it stands people with heart bypass ,cancer ,amputation's regularly get refused DA

Somebody said in another thread that it was 3 months or more, with an almost guaranteed refusal first time around. Think you're mixing it up with another payment; DA allows to earn €120 per week without affecting the payment. There's another alright that limits to 20 hours.
I've had the medical card refusal, too. When I was on JA I was told that my earnings were above the threshold! A year later, and with no change to my income, I won the appeal.
Think I'll do a bit of tormenting after Christmas.:D

Gatling

compo1 wrote: »

Somebody said in another thread that it was 3 months or more, with an almost guaranteed refusal first time around. Think you're mixing it up with another payment; DA allows to earn €120 per week without affecting the payment. There's another alright that limits to 20 hours.
I've had the medical card refusal, too. When I was on JA I was told that my earnings were above the threshold! A year later, and with no change to my income, I won the appeal.
Think I'll do a bit of tormenting after Christmas.:D

No I'm right ive been through the process 12+ months letters from gp ,letters from specialist and consultant's and that wasn't enough for some , you can only work if its considered rehabilitative to you at a maximum of 20hrs

http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/social_welfare/social_welfare_payments/social_welfare_payments_and_work/disability_payments_and_work.html

wmpdd3

Be warned though that if you do apply to do 20 hours rehabilitative work your payment can be immediately review and you may have to reapply all over again.

compo1

Ok; so when/if I get DA, it's fine doing a bit of work a few hours a week for somebody else, it's all on record in the normal way. But if I'm freelancing from home, and the income is irregular, any ideas how I can handle that?
(I've already been told that I'm most likely to have to appeal a refusal.)

NeoRox

compo1 wrote: »

Ok; so when/if I get DA, it's fine doing a bit of work a few hours a week for somebody else, it's all on record in the normal way. But if I'm freelancing from home, and the income is irregular, any ideas how I can handle that?
(I've already been told that I'm most likely to have to appeal a refusal.)

As Gatling said the work has to be rehabilitative to your case. You can't just apply for part time jobs. The DSFA will decide if you are capable depending on the work that you tell them you want to do.

If you are freelancing from home they could decide that you are not eligible for DA at all. Irregular income won't matter as you will probably be seen as capable for work.

Yep the majority of people seem to be refused and have to appeal.

wellieboot

If you pass the medical, you can declare your income from freelancing for the means assessment, in the same way as self employed people do for other DSP schemes such as Jobseekers Allowance etc. Just keep a record of income and expenses (for the Inspector and yourself). Total net income is averaged, generally over a 12 month period (depending on when the freelancing commenced).

compo1

wellieboot wrote: »

If you pass the medical, you can declare your income from freelancing for the means assessment, in the same way as self employed people do for other DSP schemes such as Jobseekers Allowance etc. Just keep a record of income and expenses (for the Inspector and yourself). Total net income is averaged, generally over a 12 month period (depending on when the freelancing commenced).

THanks. That provides just a little more clarity anyway.
And, I know; the Dept seem to be looking for any excuse to cut the welfare budget, however unjust the decision might be.

livemusic4life

I'm fairly sure you won't get an exemption to work if you want to work freelance. The form i got required all kinds of information outlining the hours you will do from week to week, company tax number, your payroll number, and how long they are willing to hire you for blah blah. That form has to be filled by an employer and you cannot work without written confirmation from the dept, which took 4 weeks when i applied.

Also the chances are that you will be refused disability if you are doing rehabilitative work. You won't meet the criteria of being unable to work. You need to be on disability for 6 months also before they will give you an exemption to work.

Initial applications for disability take from 12 weeks to 20. With an appeal taking anywhere from 12 to 18 months. Good luck with it though