diff --git a/app/main/views/dashboard.py b/app/main/views/dashboard.py
index aef002398..b78fadc13 100644
--- a/app/main/views/dashboard.py
+++ b/app/main/views/dashboard.py
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ from flask_login import login_required
 
 from app.main import main
 from app import (
+    current_service,
     job_api_client,
     service_api_client,
     template_statistics_client
@@ -139,6 +140,10 @@ def monthly(service_id):
 @login_required
 @user_has_permissions('manage_settings', admin_override=True)
 def inbox(service_id):
+
+    if 'inbound_sms' not in current_service['permissions']:
+        abort(403)
+
     return render_template(
         'views/dashboard/inbox.html',
         messages=service_api_client.get_inbound_sms(service_id),
@@ -178,7 +183,10 @@ def get_dashboard_partials(service_id):
         ),
         'inbox': render_template(
             'views/dashboard/_inbox.html',
-            inbound_sms_summary=service_api_client.get_inbound_sms_summary(service_id),
+            inbound_sms_summary=(
+                service_api_client.get_inbound_sms_summary(service_id)
+                if 'inbound_sms' in current_service['permissions'] else None
+            ),
         ),
         'totals': render_template(
             'views/dashboard/_totals.html',
diff --git a/app/templates/views/dashboard/_inbox.html b/app/templates/views/dashboard/_inbox.html
index 7cba62016..c79b0888f 100644
--- a/app/templates/views/dashboard/_inbox.html
+++ b/app/templates/views/dashboard/_inbox.html
@@ -1,19 +1,21 @@
 {% from "components/big-number.html" import big_number, big_number_with_status %}
 
 <div class="ajax-block">
-  <div class="big-number-meta-wrapper">
-    {{
-      big_number_with_status(
-        inbound_sms_summary.count,
-        'text messages received',
-        link=url_for('.inbox', service_id=current_service.id),
-        show_failures=False
-      )
-    }}
-    <div class="big-number-meta">
-      {% if inbound_sms_summary.latest_message %}
-        latest message {{ inbound_sms_summary.latest_message | format_delta }}
-      {% endif %}
+  {% if inbound_sms_summary != None %}
+    <div class="big-number-meta-wrapper">
+      {{
+        big_number_with_status(
+          inbound_sms_summary.count,
+          'text messages received',
+          link=url_for('.inbox', service_id=current_service.id),
+          show_failures=False
+        )
+      }}
+      <div class="big-number-meta">
+        {% if inbound_sms_summary.latest_message %}
+          latest message {{ inbound_sms_summary.latest_message | format_delta }}
+        {% endif %}
+      </div>
     </div>
-  </div>
+  {% endif %}
 </div>
diff --git a/tests/__init__.py b/tests/__init__.py
index 9454fe727..19e724a8a 100644
--- a/tests/__init__.py
+++ b/tests/__init__.py
@@ -55,10 +55,12 @@ def service_json(
     branding='govuk',
     created_at=None,
     letter_contact_block=None,
-    permissions=[]
+    permissions=None,
 ):
     if users is None:
         users = []
+    if permissions is None:
+        permissions = []
     return {
         'id': id_,
         'name': name,
diff --git a/tests/app/main/views/test_dashboard.py b/tests/app/main/views/test_dashboard.py
index 32a2e5319..152d0a9d0 100644
--- a/tests/app/main/views/test_dashboard.py
+++ b/tests/app/main/views/test_dashboard.py
@@ -79,6 +79,27 @@ def test_get_started_is_hidden_once_templates_exist(
     assert 'Get started' not in response.get_data(as_text=True)
 
 
+def test_inbound_messages_not_visible_to_service_without_permissions(
+    logged_in_client,
+    service_one,
+    mock_get_service_templates_when_no_templates_exist,
+    mock_get_jobs,
+    mock_get_detailed_service,
+    mock_get_template_statistics,
+    mock_get_usage,
+    mock_get_inbound_sms_summary,
+):
+
+    service_one['permissions'] = []
+
+    response = logged_in_client.get(url_for('main.service_dashboard', service_id=SERVICE_ONE_ID))
+    page = BeautifulSoup(response.data.decode('utf-8'), 'html.parser')
+
+    assert response.status_code == 200
+    assert not page.select('.big-number-meta-wrapper')
+    assert mock_get_inbound_sms_summary.called is False
+
+
 @pytest.mark.parametrize('inbound_summary_mock, expected_text', [
     (mock_get_inbound_sms_summary_with_no_messages, '0 text messages received'),
     (mock_get_inbound_sms_summary, '99 text messages received latest message just now'),
@@ -86,6 +107,7 @@ def test_get_started_is_hidden_once_templates_exist(
 def test_inbound_messages_shows_count_of_messages(
     logged_in_client,
     mocker,
+    service_one,
     mock_get_service_templates_when_no_templates_exist,
     mock_get_jobs,
     mock_get_detailed_service,
@@ -95,6 +117,7 @@ def test_inbound_messages_shows_count_of_messages(
     expected_text,
 ):
 
+    service_one['permissions'] = ['inbound_sms']
     inbound_summary_mock(mocker)
 
     response = logged_in_client.get(url_for('main.service_dashboard', service_id=SERVICE_ONE_ID))
@@ -116,7 +139,7 @@ def test_inbound_messages_shows_count_of_messages(
 ]))
 def test_inbox_showing_inbound_messages(
     logged_in_client,
-    mocker,
+    service_one,
     mock_get_service_templates_when_no_templates_exist,
     mock_get_jobs,
     mock_get_detailed_service,
@@ -127,6 +150,8 @@ def test_inbox_showing_inbound_messages(
     expected_row,
 ):
 
+    service_one['permissions'] = ['inbound_sms']
+
     response = logged_in_client.get(url_for('main.inbox', service_id=SERVICE_ONE_ID))
     page = BeautifulSoup(response.data.decode('utf-8'), 'html.parser')
 
@@ -138,7 +163,7 @@ def test_inbox_showing_inbound_messages(
 
 def test_empty_inbox(
     logged_in_client,
-    mocker,
+    service_one,
     mock_get_service_templates_when_no_templates_exist,
     mock_get_jobs,
     mock_get_detailed_service,
@@ -147,6 +172,8 @@ def test_empty_inbox(
     mock_get_inbound_sms_with_no_messages,
 ):
 
+    service_one['permissions'] = ['inbound_sms']
+
     response = logged_in_client.get(url_for('main.inbox', service_id=SERVICE_ONE_ID))
     page = BeautifulSoup(response.data.decode('utf-8'), 'html.parser')
 
@@ -156,6 +183,16 @@ def test_empty_inbox(
     )
 
 
+def test_inbox_not_accessible_to_service_without_permissions(
+    logged_in_client,
+    service_one,
+):
+    service_one['permissions'] = []
+    response = logged_in_client.get(url_for('main.inbox', service_id=SERVICE_ONE_ID))
+
+    assert response.status_code == 403
+
+
 def test_should_show_recent_templates_on_dashboard(
     logged_in_client,
     mocker,
@@ -759,11 +796,12 @@ def test_should_show_all_jobs_with_valid_statuses(
     logged_in_client,
     mock_get_template_statistics,
     mock_get_detailed_service,
+    mock_get_service_templates_when_no_templates_exist,
     mock_get_jobs,
     mock_get_usage,
     mock_get_inbound_sms_summary,
 ):
-    get_dashboard_partials(service_id=SERVICE_ONE_ID)
+    logged_in_client.get(url_for('main.service_dashboard', service_id=SERVICE_ONE_ID))
 
     first_call = mock_get_jobs.call_args_list[0]
     # first call - scheduled jobs only