Hi, I'm going in as a Marine Other Rank, i.e not an officer. Would an arrest warrant for the non-payment of council tax have the cops showing up at the gates to Lympstone asking for me? Also this is not a private baliff this is a letter from my local council from their "court recovery officer". I've had three hearings/liability orders heard at the magistrates court over the last 3 year period, I did not attend any occasions and have never responded to anything, so it is now at the commital to prison stage. just want to know if ignoring this will get me a warrant for arrest on the police PNC and will they bother to come all the way to Devon to arrest me? It's £320 in total. I did not pay becuase I never used the property that I was privately renting so did not see how I should have to pay the CT

Hi all, I have a letter direct from the local council's own court baliff demanding I pay my council tax bill with 14 days or he will ask the courts to commit me to prison. If I ignore this, would my entry in to the Royal Navy in January next year be effected? Would I have a police warrant for my arrest, or not?

Hi all, I claimed tax credits as my computer repair business is bringing in less and less each year due to increased used of smartphones and tablets. I got a letter from "B&C Compliance Operations HMRC" asking for proof that the business is serious and that I make a regular income and an intention to make profit, ect. Since this letter stated they do not accept electronic or USB/CD i was limited on what I could provide so I simply sent a couple of my most up-to-date flyers as well as my business website/email address. A few weeks later I get a response saying that they don't believe my work is regular or serious, and strangely, that they cannot verify that I am single? Then a week later I get another letter saying simply that they don't believe I'm single, but said nothing about the computer repair business. Are there any template letters for appeals, or any tips and guides on the best/quickest way to appeal?

Yeah I do remember some warrant letter from the court maybe month ago. I'll be attending court this tuesday to pay in full with cash, I just don't want to get arrested and held as I have dependant people and two dogs. Am I correct in thinking they have a specific court hearing date that they are not telling me, and they will hold me in custody until that date? I'm probably being paranoid, but maybe not.... anyone have any experience of this particular matter?

I received a criminal damage conviction 5 years ago and now I've just had a card through the door asking for pay payment in full, or to attend court this Tuesday 18th Nov. The card reads... Does anyone know if I'll be arrested as soon as I enter the court, and held in a cell for a specific court hearing, or if I can walk in court and pay the fine in full, then walk out a free man? I ask because I will have to make some important arrangements in anticipation of being held in custody. Any advice is appreciated p.s it's been more than 24 hours since i received the card... been 3 days actually.

To conclude the thread, I'm receiving a measly £52 per week tax credits. Housing benefit hasn't changed, no doubt because I declared that I had only just started trading, and no doubt they will become more gestapo about it all as time goes on. On the tax form I declared my estimated yearly profits would be £2000 and opted for the SEE (small earnings exemption) so I don't have to pay the £120 a year national insurance tax. Apparently I won't be entitled to a state pension if I opt for SEE. Somehow I doubt that. So I'm worse off than when I was on JSA and with a bunch of flaky customers not turning up lately to drop off their broken machines even though they agreed over phone/email, I am really very ****ed off especially when this greedy landlord cow will be expecting here extortionate rent in less than a week. Hope this helps others who are considering the same move. Wish I read something like this before taking the plunge.

Hi all, I registered as self employed over the phone a day or so after my last post here. That was the easy part - only needed 3 minutes to do. She said to wait for papers in the post, to fill it out and send it back. A week passed and finally got the Tax Credits form in the post. Some of it was too cryptic for me to fill out so I cycled to the local inland revenue office and the kind receptionist lady filled the rest of it out for me at the front desk and offered to post it, too. Just waiting now for everything to be completed by HMRC... should be another 3-4 weeks yet. I received my last JSA payment a week before I completed/sent my tax credit form off, and HMRC backdate tax credits from the day they receive said form, so I shouldn't, fingers crossed, have any tax credit/JSA payment overlap. All in all much simpler than I thought it would be. Only question now is how much tax credits will I get, and not forgetting now I have to deal with council in regards to housing benefit... hopefully that won't be difficult... and hopefully will receive the same or more HB as I did on JSA. Will keep thread updated... surely will help guys in similiar predicament.

I tried that but because I'm with the work program they keep referring me to A4E and no way in hell do I want the annoying little twit that is my advisor to get any sort of commission after what he's put me through the past 6 months! What is a new enterprise allowance, is it a one off sum of money or a weekly/monthly thing? If it's the former I ain't too bothered, I just want a steady benefit income comparable to being on the dole. Is there any way to inquire about all this stuff without going through my WP provider A4E?

The thing with these calculators are there's just so many and you never know which applies to myself and also they ask for stuff I do not yet know about like how much tax credit do you receive, ect. I reckon I'd be earning no more than 5 grand a year, if that. In anyones general experience would the HB be the same amount that I already get while on the dole, I'm under 35 so get £300 maximum, however I get £273 per month. edit: ok I winged it through my local council benefit calculator and the results say I will get the same amount of HB that I already get, however that's assuming my answers were all correct!

My situation is a simple as it gets, no kids, single, living in a crappy little privately rented bedsit. I would love to know if being self employed would get me the same amount of housing benefit that I already get, and ideally same amount of living money I get from the dole which is £273 & £240 respectively. I'll just tell HMRC I carry out work on-site at customers house... who cares if I bring a laptop home to repair every now and then? Basically I want to know if I'd be better or worse off! Also what answers do I give HMRC to gain the most benefit possible? I'll be working over 30 hours a week, what else do you need to know... can anyone of experience let me know if I'd be better or worse off so I can make a decision as to weather to put up with these A4E gestapo **** or cease dole and go self employed instead?

Hi everyone, I'm currently on the dole but have set up a small computer repair business complete with website, advert leaflets and have had customers already for quite a few months now. I work out of the £300 pcm flat that I rent privately. I get housing benefit. I reckon I make about £40 a week on average, which is utter crap so the dole money I get is absolutely neccesary for me to survive, however with A4E becoming unbearable to tolerate any longer I just want to get out of the dole and on to self employed benefits however I have many concerns. 1. I currently get about £60 a week on the dole. How much a week will I get being self employed? 2. I currently get £273 a month worth of housing benefit. How much housing benefit will I get being self employed? Is working out of your place of residence allowed or are there special rules, ect? Basically I want to know if my benefits will be comparable to being on the dole. I hope it will not be any less than the dole. It's infuriating how one cannot make decent money even after having put in the effort to create a business and so requires massive government financial subsidies just to get by with food and rent bills. I eagerly await your advise. I will be going to my local inland revenue office tomorrow to start the process of self employment.

Good tip thanks. I'm always wanting to know these little tricks and tips, haha.

Hi guys here's the conclusion. I performed a rapid reclaim nearly 3 weeks ago, then the following day I sent all my payslips and a well-written covering letter to the Nottingham benefits delivery depot and just today I have now got nearly £450 in the bank so I'm very happy indeed. I have another question, though. Before they closed my previous JSA claim I was on A4E, does this contract still stand even though I'm effectively on a new (rapid reclaim) claim now?

The Padge Road BDC number is constantly engaged. When I say constantly I'm talking 24/7 every day of the week. The only way to communicate with this particular BDC is by post.

Well I was told by my local job centre to send my payslips and covering letter to the Padge Road benefit delivery centre in Nottingham, so I did so, recorded delivery! I understand that ignoring me would be a way in which they could avoid processing my claim, and would not doubt for a second they are doing just that. What I'd like to know is what recourse is there available for me as like I said it has been 7 working days now.