First things first

"They have now addmitted that she did not need to fill out a self assesment as she was on paye,"

WRT the above statement is this admission in the form of a letter or from a conversation on the phone.

If it is in the form of a officially headed letter then thats a good start, if it is not then the first thing

you should do is get that admission sent to you in the form of a letter. Unfortunately, phone calls

are very easily forgotten about, not written to file, or, simply lied that they did not in fact take place.

The members on here would pretty much say the same, Get everything in writing.

As I see it, she is being fined for not filling in a form that she did not have to fill in therefore, in the real world

the fine should not exist.

But, I think other people on here will give you some better advice wrt this.

We had a motobility car that we had to return due to my wife's dla being cancelled.

The motobility group arranged collection of the vehicle about 4 weeks after the award stopped.

The guy who turned up for it was actually a collection agent for a car auction place and he said

that motobility now send any car they get back whether within the lease time or when the lease

runs it's course straight to auction.

Ours was two years old with just 9k on the clock when it went back. I had nursed it and took good

care of it so someone somewhere got a good deal.

Well in all the time I was going in to sign (even when I was bad) no-one and I repeat no-one at the places I went to mentioned

I could fill in a JSA28 form and take 14 days off to get better.

Just goes to show just how uncaring and unsympathetic some JS advisors are (well in my old JC that is)

Is it still possible to take 14 days holiday as well?

If it is then you could get 6 weeks a year where you are virtually "free" from them for want of a better word.

First thing... don't send in any complaints until you are 100% sure that it is the CSA that have told your ex.

SO

!st get in touch with the CSA and tell them you have been told by your ex that they have disclosed your earnings to him.

Tell them that the ex says they have it in writing.

They will probably respond with under the data protection act they would not be permitted to do so. So, if this is what they

come back with then your next course of action is to get a copy of the letter which your ex (says) they have.

If the ex refuses then you can almost guarantee that they have made the calculation (or someone else has) and that is

how they would know. This may well be a case where the ex is saying this simply to make you look silly with the CSA and

score some points. I would retaliate with a "I have reported this to the CSA and they told you they would be looking into it".

If the ex does show you a officially headed letter with the figures on it then get a copy. That is the time to then have a go

at the CSA and tell them you are going to go through the official complaints channels to sort it out.

But please don't make yourself look silly just because your ex is having a bit of a laugh at your expense

Prior to going SE I was on the WP and to be honest they are a real asset and the greatest help you could ever get.

Their help with making a business plan was brill, they helped with material sourcing, they helped really well

with finding outlets for my stuff and services.

I must admit they pulled out all the stops for me...

Oh I better go and get me a few pep pills to bring me back to the real world.

They were about the most useless, self centred overgrown parrot faced wassacks who had the brain capacity

of single celled organism, the attention span of a goldfish and usefulness of a rusty bent nail. and I am

being kind.

If your going self employed you are far better finding things out for yourself or use other organizations such

as business link, business initiative also have a look at LinkIn website.

If you over 50 have a look at the PRIME website.

loads of info on their site.

Curiously asking a silly question.

Are we not already paid in arrears with current benefits? So will those arrears be

taken into account when calulating exactly the first payment day or are they

going to try and sneakerly hope that people do not realise that and so not have to pay

those arrears when someone signs off those benefits?

I can remember waiting for 55 minutes in the JC once (normally 10 mins past appointment time).

I had been sitting patiently reading the old literature that litters the wait area, twiddling my thumbs,

etc etc.

I was starting to get a little vocal when a security guard came over to ask why I was there. Told him

and he said he would enquire. Turned out my signing card had been taken out the box by a advisor who

then put it on her table and then decided she wanted a 5 minute break (never did see her come back).

You know what the advisor I saw said, Why are you late signing.. of all the cheek. Well that put the lid on it

and I let rip in a voice everyone could hear.

For some unknown reason I was never kept waiting again... got no clue why that happened none at all......

Oh.. Don't forget to budget for the next month as well because chances are you will get

only 3 weeks pay the first pay packet due to the "working a week in hand" policy that

many companies run.

Ok thanks for replies so far.

Updating with additional information.

Because this is a fledgling business I have been using one of the spare bedrooms we have in a housing association owned property.

Due to the low turnover this first year we choose to use one of the rooms simply due to keep costs down and to give the business

the best chance of surviving the first 18 months.

Due to the low turnover we have been awarded HB and CTB and WTC. We keep all relevant parties updated on turnover/profit so

if they have done their sums right we should have no problems such as overpayments etc.

We have not bothered to ask for plan perm as it is not our intention to continue the business from this address once it can be cost

justified to have a enterprise unit. Although it would be good to continue from this address due to my wifes care requirements.

The business does not affect neighbours as there's no noise/smells etc and apart from two/three courier deliveries a month there is no real impact

on the traffic in our street (in fact light jumpers have increased the traffic flow a lot since the introduction of some traffic lights on the

main road which runs parallel to out street). Should also point out the deliveries are only small so the vans are gone in two/three minutes.

I never have any buyers coming to the property so I doubt whether any of my neighbours even know what I am doing there.

Because we are under occupied we have a reduction in the HB due to the bedroom tax and this reduction is actually larger than the

business rates would be (Floor space

to remove the bedroom tax reduction because it would be classified as a office and not a bedroom.

So it's a bit of a catch 22 situation.

Of course they could say you cannot run a business from the address in which case I would have to move into a specially

converted caravan I have made from which I can still work. Because it is not permanent (no foundations) and still looks

exactly like a caravan on the outside they would not know. Even though I have added additional insulation to the

inside of the caravan it would still cost in the region of £40.00 per week to run all in. Which in comparison to having a

enterprise unit which is £60.00 + Business rates + gas and electric is cheap. Of course if I do that I would have higher costs

which would lower the profit and the HB award would be higher than it currently is. So in effect the council are better off

leaving me alone. But we all know councils are not known for their reasoning powers.

So I hope you can see the logic behind me using a bedroom as a office.

And so thats why I would like to see how the calculate possible tax allowances for a business using a room in my house.

I have a plan for if the council or housing association get ratty but that is going to cost tax payers far more.

I would shut down, Claim full CT and HB, then get JSA but also care allowance on top due to my wifes PIP awards.

Currently I work a total of 80 hours per week if you add the business hours to the care hours I put in. I get up

at 4:30 every morning and usually don't go to bed before 10pm, and thats 7 days a week.

Shutting down would actually free up a lot of time for me and I would not be any worse off really, it's just that

I really love what I am doing and would not want to give it up just like that.

I have absolutely NO problems with IDS introducing Food Vouchers... Absolutely None at all.

Well as long as they cover the cost of a weekly shop at Harrods......

You know what it is about IDS and his millions, It's the thought that the paltry amount of tax

he pays is going to be given to someone so that they can actually live for a little while longer.

The best people to actually run are the people who live on the dole as they at least

know how to budget to survive

notmeguvhonest :

Use then to your advantage if you are really going to go SE. Get them to send you to courses/

money advisor's/etc which can help you with SE.

It probably be the only time you can use them to an advantage.

Hello all.

Have now been self employed since May of 2014 and am coming up to the end of the tax year (April).

I have been using the gov.uk site and HMRC to try and get some answers as trying to get through to the tax offices for advice takes forever.

As a SE person with a home business I use 1 room of my property exclusively for the business. There are tax allowances for doing this and what you can claim (rent) appears to be associated with the floor area of the property or the number of rooms in the property.

My problem is that there appears to be no guidelines as to what is counted as a room and what is not or how to calculate floor space of the property that is taken into consideration.

.

The property I am in consists of

4 bedrooms (1 is the workspace)

1 large lounge/living room

1 kitchen,

1 bathroom,

a hall way (narrow), a landing (narrow), a very small toilet (upstairs) and a back porch(v.small)

My question is

What is the total number of rooms that I should use so as to be able to calculate the percentage of rent/usage allowance I should use when filling in my returns.

Thanks for any replies.

They will pay you up to the day before you start work.

If you are receiving HB, CTB there is a possibility that you could be entitled to

the four week run on which (if you can get it) will see you not having to worry

about those two things till you get paid.

Also look into WTC if it's low paid work and your hours qualify you for it. They can do

this over the phone as long as you know your hours and base rate of pay. Then when

you get enough payslips you can get them to recalculate it so you are receiving what

you are entitled to

When you receive your 1st pay slip get down the council to see if you can get help

with CTB, and HB if you have them.

If you require any special work clothes, boots for the job and they not supplied then

try and get a discretionary payment to cover them. Does not hurt to ask.

Remember it's all about minimising the impact of going from unemployed to in work status

so if there's something you can claim for do it sooner rather than later. Leaving it can

cost you money.

I agree with everything thats been said above.

You really do need to keep documentary evidence of all letters you send and receive, All forms/letters they give you.

Record everything as the times they have *cough* said something then denied it after *cough* comes up time

and again on these boards.

Get everything in writing don't go on word of mouth ever. You will regret it later if you do.

If you are ill make sure they know by letter preferably or if you do have to use the telephone

record the conversation. Telephones are their friends and they can easily deny anything they say

or tell them if you don't record it.

But the best piece of info I can give is "protect your back" because if they can stab you, they will.

Other than that, if you can use the time constructively (get on courses that improve your JOB chances or help you if

you want to go self employed then try to do them) and I am not talking about CV writing or Job Interview techniques

Because everyone (I think) will agree that they are a big time waste in the main.

|Ohhh| reading the posts carefully

This smells a little..

Pertemps have a job that they find hard to fill.

Someone shows a little interest but they know the chances are small

that the guy will take the position so,

They ring the JS to tell them they think he would be perfect

for the job so now he's in a catch 22 situation were he is virtually

having to take the job or get sanctioned anyway..

Does smell like pertemps are using the possibility that the JS

will threaten to sanction the guy and so he has no option but

to take the job.

I hope I am wrong or are we seeing the start of a new way to

get people into jobs they would not normally take.........

I would certainly make a hash of any interview by acting a little thick

asking silly questions and repeating those questions several times

during any interview. Keep going over whatever they say several times as well

Get their names wrong when talking to them.. you know use all the tricks..

You have to make it look like you would be more trouble than it's worth

if they give you the job.

The real question is where would it stop. Where would that thin line be drawn?

I can remember a long time ago that there was a original series STAR TREK episode where they were on a planet that was populated only by people who were genetically perfect. If there was something wrong with them they were put into a chamber and well disposed of permanently.

Could this be taken that far... A slight problem in your genetic code and ....sanctioned....

I know going a little to far but it does make you wonder......

..plus they can't include weekends and bank holidays as 'normal days' either.

 

They tried it on with me, posting a letter on Friday and wanting me in on Monday - according to them they'd given me '2 days notice' but I showed them the guidance which said 2 working days notice at least and promptly reported them. They never tried it again.

Did exactly the same to me once. Posted a letter Friday which was delivered Tuesday (post comes after 2pm) for a appointment

that very same day at 10am. So I was basically late for an appointment because the letter arrived after it.

I got on the phone to them straight away and got a right charlie the other end. Just did not want to accept that the letter arrived after appointment.

Used loads of excuses to try an make it out I was lying about the time I received it.

I eventually got it sorted very quickly after I asked where I could make a complaint.

and in the next instalment

She rang the JC up and they got a little uperty with her and it did not matter how much she

tried to get it into their heads that the road was impassable they simply kept saying she had

to get in.

In the end she went over the front lines heads and got to speak to someone further up the ladder.

Eventually they told her to come in on the first day it was possible to get along the lane.

Then after that they........

I had a friend who had this exact problem and could not due to their location get into the JC to sign.

When she called them up they stance was that because the advisor's were in and the JC open then

all claimants "Must" be able to get in.

But she lives in a small village at end of a country lane and when it snowed heavy it drifts off the

surrounding fields and completely blocks the road.

I used to be in the farming business and have myself seen drifts as high as 6 ft on that lane. Even

took a large 4 wheel drive tractor along one day and it could not make it.

or even

You sigh a big sigh of relief

I would call then up and explain your current situation and if you are happy to pay it then ask them for time or

a repayment plan, they would probably be happy to get the money from you even if it is through repayments.

But would seeing an advisor sign on and the machine saying their JS was not good enough and sanctioning them be poetic justice?

When I was signing (2013-2014) my JS agreement was for 3 x UJM and 5 Contacts/applications. But because I was really trying to get off JSA I was doing 7 X UJM and 10+ Applications/contacts per week.

Then I got a new advisor and she got a bit stroppy and rude with me one week and told me I must comply with my agreement so next time I went in I took in exactly what the agreement asked for and she said I should really do more. To which I answered I was but you told me to adhere to the agreement...... She got stroppy and rude again so I insisted on seeing her boss/gaffer/line manager whatever you call them now. When he came over I insisted that I be given a new advisor as I felt that my current one was being rude, causing me upset and was not very helpful.

I got a new advisor.

I made a point of blowing my old advisor a kiss everytime I saw her when I went to sign......

Her face was a picture.....

Ahhh the 70's...

The reason they did not pressurise you so much then is that there were plenty of jobs going and most people were not on the Dole long.

I can remember being made redundant, signing on the next day and starting another job the day after and it did not

only happen just once in that decade. There were more jobs than people out of work and nobody really bothered about

the stigma that is attached to numerous jobs nowadays.

Nowadays, you see someone picking up litter and most people think they are people who have been to court and

sentenced to xx hrs community service for their crimes.. In the old days the job was seen as someone working for the

council and being paid to do the job.

I suppose that's is where it would have eventually ended up with people doing job search and applying through UJM if it worked correctly and the

electronic signing linked to the UJM system so it could check your JS and issue the payment.

Mr.P

I was trying for self employment and was in talks to get the New Deal Allowance then got shoved onto the WP.

Three months after WP finished and I was on PWPS my advisor told me that the allowance was available again to me.

I just brought this up as a possible means of additional income that may have been available once the OP got off WP.

Did not know how much longer the sentence had left to run so was just offering possibilities that may have been available.

I am not sure about this but I heard that it is also possible to get that allowance if you had recently signed off. Like I said

this is something I heard but I cannot in anyway vouch for this information.

The NDA was phased out but was replaced by New Enterprise Allowance which you can find information on at

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/new-enterprise-allowance-campaign

There are also a couple of links on that page which may be useful