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Jobcentres

Jobcentre Plus is responsible for the national network of Jobcentres. These give skilled advice at every stage of your search for a job. They will also make sure you know which benefits or allowances you are entitled to claim.

They can also support you if you are concerned about the impact of your disability on your existing job.

Your local Jobcentre can help and advise you regardless of your situation. They can also help and advise you if you've not had any work experience or not worked for a long time.

Disability Employment Advisers

You and your Jobcentre Plus adviser may decide that getting further specialist advice would be helpful for you. They can arrange for you to have an interview with a Disability Employment Adviser (DEA).

The Disability Employment Adviser will find out about your abilities and the sort of job that would suit you. Then they draw up a plan of action with you to help you get closer to or into work.

• Disability Employment Advisers

Advisers for people receiving incapacity benefits

Most Jobcentres have a specialist adviser who can support you. They can refer you to further specialist help, if you are claiming Employment and Support Allowance or incapacity benefits.

Work schemes and programmes

If your disability affects the kind of work you can do, you may be eligible to join some programmes open to long-term unemployed people.

• Work schemes and programmes

Work experience placements

A work experience placement can be a great way of trying out a career you are interested in. The Disability Discrimination Act covers people who are on practical work experience undertaken as part of their vocational training.

• Disability and the Equality Act 2010

Working and receiving disability and incapacity benefits

Disability Living Allowance

Disability Living Allowance is a benefit that can be paid whether you are in or out of work or training. This is also providing you have a level of care or mobility needs which meets the entitlement conditions.

Your Disability Living Allowance will remain the same if:

• you're about to start work
• return to work
• your care and/or mobility needs have not changed

If your care and/or mobility needs have changed you must report this change to the Department for Work and Pensions. Your benefit award can be reviewed and, if necessary, a new decision made. This could result in either an increase or a decrease in the amount of Disability Living Allowance you are entitled to.

• Disability Living Allowance - your circumstances

Employment and Support Allowance and 'Permitted Work'

If you receive Employment and Support Allowance you may be able to do some limited work. This is called Permitted Work. If you get Employment and Support Allowance and you work, this could affect income-related benefits you receive, like Housing Benefit or Council Tax Benefit.

• 'Permitted Work' - working while claiming Employment and Support Allowance

• 'Permitted Work' - working while claiming Incapacity Benefit

Personal learning and careers advice from Next Step

If you're looking for personal learning and careers advice, contact an adviser and arrange to talk face-to-face. Whether you want to change jobs or learn something new and broaden your skills, you can talk in confidence to an adviser. Telephone 0800 100 900 to speak to a Next Step adviser or book a free call back from an adviser by following the link below.

• Book a free call back from a Next Step adviser Opens new window

Useful contacts

• Employment contacts