4. Earnings
Your earnings and the earnings of your partner are taken into account in the health benefits assessment. Your net weekly earnings are taken into account – ie, after deducting:
•income tax;
•class 1 national insurance contributions;
•half of any contribution you make towards a personal or occupational pension.
There is also an earnings disregard of £5, £10 or £20 a week, as for income support (see here), with a modification that allows a £20 disregard if you get a disability premium or if you or your partner are over 60. The earnings disregard is increased to the whole of the earnings if you are on contributory employment and support allowance and doing permitted work.1The National Health Service (Travelling Expenses and Remission of Charges) (Scotland) Amendment (No.3) Regulations 2008 No.390