Permitted Work on NS-ESA, any info on self employment income reporting?

Hi all,

I've been put into the support group on New Style ESA, and I'm doing some Permitted Work.

I sent my PW form in late July, and phoned to ask about it in August, to be told I was fine to do some work within the 16 hours / £195.50 limits. I wasn't given any information on how to report my earnings, so I called back a couple of weeks ago to ask how I do this, and was told I didn't need to.

Now. I'm very happy to not have to do extra paperwork but it feels very strange to just... not send anything in?!

I'm a self-employed calligrapher and general hands for hire, I also do a bit of audio description. All of my work is invoiced after completion of either a batch of work, or the whole job. For example, from late August to early October I was scripting and recording AD for a series of films. I invoiced for everything at once, but it covers about 8 weeks work total. Now I'm doing some calligraphy for a regular client, I'm sent a list of work to get through, I then divide it up myself into however much I can do per day / week, and I'll be invoicing probably once a month. Plus I sell a few handmade cards and things through Etsy. Hours wise I'm doing less than 16/week, but income wise it comes in uneven clumps!

Is there any written guidance on reporting permitted work earnings for self employed people? Or is it really the case that I just log it myself and the DWP are genuinely not interested? I find the hands-off approach of NS-ESA both a relief, and unsettling!

Thank you! I’m starting to wonder whether I should do an FOI request to ask for any existing guidance, it seems to be a curious niche where info is hard to find.