Hi everyone,

My question is about Housing Benefits.

I'm a French citizen and my wife is peruvian, we've been living in UK for 2 years now. My wife started working part-time a year ago (she earns about £220/month). I've been looking for an IT position during many months but to no avail.

Then I trained myself as a web designer, registered a self-employed business in november 2009 (I've been granted a Small Earning Exception due to expecting earnings below £5,075), and am currently working for my first client.

We've been receiving housing benefits for 8 months or something. My question is :

If I contact the City Council to inform them about my self-employment, which I must do anyway, is it possible that they reduce the benefits we get from them or even stop them ?

they will base your entitlement on your total household income as it is a means tested benefit, so yes there is a possibility it will be reduced or withdrawn depending on how much you earn. That said, it may well remain the same. It all depends on what you have coming in.

Ok, thanks for the reply.

I'd like to know one more thing : in the case of a self-employed person who officially expects to earn X each year, do they consider that this person actually earns that money each year, even if in fact he or she earns only a small fraction of it ?

I said I expect to earn 4,000 a year, my wife earns 2.400 a year, that is 6,400 a year. But in reality we will earn much less than that, at least during the first year, because I don't have many clients. Do they take that kind of thing into account or not ?

They will have to award HB on your estimated earnings as you are newly self employed. It seems a few months later they ask you for more financial information so that they can better work out your entitlement.

All right, thank you all.

Ok, thanks for the reply.

 

I'd like to know one more thing : in the case of a self-employed person who officially expects to earn X each year, do they consider that this person actually earns that money each year, even if in fact he or she earns only a small fraction of it ?

 

I said I expect to earn 4,000 a year, my wife earns 2.400 a year, that is 6,400 a year. But in reality we will earn much less than that, at least during the first year, because I don't have many clients. Do they take that kind of thing into account or not ?

what your company makes and what you actually live on is two different thing you have to cater for your expenditure and what money you have left then that's the amount you will tell the council you have to live on. I ran a business for 5 years. Any money your company makes out of sales goes in the business any money you personally put into the business don't belong to the company.

hope this helps

All right, thank you all.

Your English is exceptionally very good for being in UK for two years I am part French myself and speak fluent French I’ve lived in uk for 32 years I am still no good with my English because I get mixed up between the two languages.

I haven't thought about separating turnover from net income in the context of this HB issue, thank you Helen you are right.

As for my English then thank you again. Actually I've been reading books in English on a daily basis for 4 almost years now, so I suppose that helps a lot !