Self-employed work while on disability benefits?

My question is: can you do self-employed work while on long-term sickness/disability benefits as long as it is less than 15h/week and not earning over the threshold they allow? If so, can it include work that is very variable in its hours. I heard rumours that you can't do this and that the Jobcentre plus will want you do only certain types of work (what they called 'permitted work' sometimes through certain schemes that they approve of. The government website is not clear on this and I am afraid of being pressured into work which may be detrimental to my health and doesn't best suit my skills.

My situation is that chronically ill and on Incapacity Benefit but for a while I've been able to teach myself website design just doing up to 45 minutes 3 or 4 times each day (the only way my health manage it) which is about 10 hours a week. There may soon be some real potential to do some paid website jobs but I concerned that the benefits system will not support me this and pressure me into other types of work.

Not to burst your bubble or anything, it's great you have some potential to do some paid website jobs, but in my experience, any sort of development work requires you to have stamina above all else. It's unlikely that you would be able to really contribute to a project if you can only work up to 45 minutes 3 or 4 times a day. Best of luck.

Are you in the UK perchance? (your use of the term "jobcentre plus" suggests that you are).

This is an Irish site, so you may not get a reply to your query.