16.07.10 Social Firms UK help people with disabilities find work

Finding a job at the moment is hard enough and if you're disabled or have a mental health problem it's even more difficult. Making the leap from relying on benefits to getting a full time job is often simply unrealistic. But part-time work can help to build up skills, confidence and a work record to show to future employers. It also raises the self esteem that comes with earning a wage. However many disabled people who want work are trapped in an incredibly complex web of benefit rules and aren't aware of what it's possible to do.

 That's why Social Firms UK has produced a free, interactive tool click here to visit it  to guide people on disability-related benefits through the maze. It's easy to use - just answer yes or no to a series of questions and it helps to work out how much someone can earn before their benefits are affected. Jobcentre Plus calls this 'Permitted Work'.