How welfare benefits may be affected by work or study

Editor's note: This section is taken from the THT booklet Positive about work and is reproduced by kind permission of The Terrence Higgins Trust.

The rules covering issues such as changes in circumstances, re-claiming benefit after a break in your claim, and whether or not the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) can review your benefit can be a complex area of benefits law. There are some areas where this section can only highlight potential problems rather than provide definitive answers. Wherever possible you should seek advice from a welfare rights specialist before making a decision to start work or studying. In particular, if you have come from abroad, for example if you are an overseas student or an asylum seeker, you should always seek advice before breaking a benefits claim.