Question about selling items whilst on ESA

Hi everyone,

I think this is my first forum post. So I should thank benefits and work for helping me get into the ESA support group. I couldn't have done it without you.

My question is that I want to sell some camera equipment I was given a year or so back (pre benefits). On the miracle day I see someone with a car who'll drive me somewhere interesting I still love to take photos if I feel OK.

The value would be about £2500 (I'd still be well below the £6000 allowed) and it would be spent immediately on replacement equipment of the same cost but smaller and lighter. The Arthritis in my hands means I can no longer handle a big camera any more.

Would I need to report this to the DWP? If I don't have to I'd really rather not (I have a PIP claim pending in case that makes a difference. They were here today. Oh joy. ) there's no profit being made and this is not a business. It's merely selling something unsuitable to replace it with something suitable. A little joy out of life is not much to ask and I don't want to be told I have to reclaim ESA or lose benefits or get into trouble. Ugh, how I hate the benefits system. Thank you to anyone who might be able to help with this.

Hi Optimist?,

Are you on Contributory or Income-related ESA?

If contributory, then you can sell your items without having to tell DWP anything.

If you are on income-related ESA, would having that money in your bank put you anywhere near the £6,000 level? What you want to avoid is the accusation that you have deliberately deprived yourself of capital in order to get below the £6000 ceiling and this preserve your entitlement to ESA. Of course, if you were to sell and buy from the same source the money would never go into your account in the first place.

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Thank you.

Thanks again for your reply. I have a letter that says "you were awarded Employment Support Allowance Income Related." Odd because when I first claimed they checked my NI contributions and said it was OK. This is a form letter so perhaps they are in error as to which ESA I am on?

The gear was a very kind gift but has proved unsuitable due to progressive psoriatic arthritis. I have been struggling with it for 18 plus months. I can't see how anyone can say I was pulling a fast one it has become increasingly useless as I have declined. But it has been used. (at least I tried to use it). For a large amount of time I was simply too depressed to use it as I suffer from treatment resistant depression. It is only recently that I have realised it's just not feasible to use. I had some money in the bank but selling this would not have pushed me anywhere near over £6000 and as I say I was trying to use it. There's no way anyone could say I held back selling it for financial gain, camera equipment drops in value like a rock as a new model comes out almost weekly!

The problem with PX is that the camera retailers offer almost nothing. Sold to a second hand equipment specialist nets far more and enables me to replace it but goes through my bank. The Part Ex means coming up with money I simply do not have to buy new. Sadly the replacement that is manageable is a new model so there aren't any available second hand.

Should I just phone DWP and say I need to sell my camera to replace it with something I can use occasionally. This sounds like a foolish path doesn't it?

Deep sigh. This benefits malarkey just gets better and better.

If you have any suggestions they would be very much appreciated. Thank you for taking the time to look at this I know people are struggling to get what they deserve and need so this must seem like trivia. It's about the only thing that cheers me up a bit. (the photography, not the posting about it.)

I did not answer one of your questions. Putting the money in the bank from the sale would put me at about £3500. I hope this is useful.