Hi all. Wondering if someone can help me.

Up until recently I have been working but had a universal credit claim running in the background for 6 months. In August I earnt 1400 through my PAYE job but setup self employed and the total expenses that month were 1200 approx giving a net income for that payment period of 200. Does dwp account for net income across both jobs for benefit purposes or just my main PAYE job which I am no longer doing.

Any help will be appreciated.

How does DWP know about your self-employment expenses?

Have you declared the self-employment?

I've been self employed for one month and have just setup. They don't know about it as of yet but am querying whether the PAYE job and self employed job interlink to get a net income or whether DWP just use my PAYE income to determine benefits

All income is used in any calculation of means tested benefits, be it PAYE, cash in hand or self-employment. They will then disregard what they can under regs.

Thanks Tom. So I'm presuming the calculation will be something along the lines of 1400 PAYE income minus 1k stock and 200 travel = 200 net income. Obviously provable when I do my first SA.

Think I've missed the cut off for August so I'll just have to lump that one but nice to know for September

If you are PAYE from your business then that's the income they will use, I presume you are a PAYE director? Sorry I thought you had a PAYE job and did some self-employment as well.

If so the business assets etc should I believe be ignored as you are not self-employed but employed by the business you run.

Hi Tom. I had a PAYE job until August which paid 1400pm. In August I setup self employed....my income for my PAYE job paid me 1400 but the setup for self employment cost 1200....so net income was 200. I am now self employed only. Hope that makes sense

So it was 2 different employment. One PAYE job from a company i worked for and one self employed income.....or loss due to setup costs, stock etc.

I get it, not sure how they would figure that out, in theory the £1400 is still income and they may treat the self-employed as nil income for the time being and review as the business takes off.

This is one of those oddities that isn't catered for in the normal way.