New Enterprise Allowance scheme - My story
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Hi I read your posts and very helpful. I am waiting to hear if I have been excepted on to the NEA loan. I am extremely anxious as I have one ccj which has been there Eyre. I was executor of my father's will and his solicitor would not wait for payment, even although the estate was not sold. I had moved house and this is where the judgement came in. It will be removed soon but I am concerned this will go against me.
Can you advise?
Thx0 -
I've just gone onto NEAS and while there are some good things about it there are others that aren't.
The Housing Benefit one is the latter. When I signed off and went onto NEAS I was given a letter by the JCP telling me about the transition. This was then sent to the HB/CTA Office to let them know about the change of Circumstances. I did this on the first working day of my NEAS which was sent electronically so they'd have a Record of when this happened.
After about a Week I get a letter from them asking for Bank Statements and to complete a Form about Self-Employment. Hmm, I've been on this for a Week and they want Bank Statements showing Money made with my Business and a Form telling them how much and what my Profit Margin will be. But how is anything going to show this after only a few days, while there is only one NEAS payment in that Account with "DWP" next to it? I kept these for long enough to show my NEAS Payments etc then finally sent them (long before the Deadline).
I then get a letter telling me my Housing Benefit and CTA has been stopped because they haven't received the requested Info, except they had - or at least I'd sent it via their internal Fax, but apparently they'd only got the Cover Note from the initial Correspondence. I saw their Officer on Thursday 29th Sept, showed them the Receipt, who then sent them again and that was supposed to be the end of it.
Not sure if the letter I got today (Dated 29th September) was sent before they knew this but it says my HB has been cancelled. I now have to find out what has gone wrong with this - which I can't do until Monday 3rd October.
What this implies is that the JCP's and the Housing Benefit/Council Tax Allowance Office don't have an Agreement to transfer former JSA/ESA Claimants onto NEAS, while it's unrealistic to expect them to provide Information about their Earnings after only a Week. Considering any Business doesn't make Money for about 2 years this is a bit harsh. They should establish that all NEAS Claimants make that transition like they would on any other Allowance that entitles them to HB/CTA. They should do this for the 6 Months they are on the Scheme, with a review at the end of it.0 -
I have asked NEA advisor if I could defer starting the scheme, my business plan was approved with final changeover date. The reason to defer is because in the interim period I have Carpal Tunnel Syndrome which will prevent me from working, and will probably need an operation.
Was told through the NEA advisor that their Job Centre Plus advisor said that I could not defer and if I miss the start date will be taken off the scheme.
Can re-apply again next year but with a different business idea.
Find the whole response from NEA and JCP unhelpfull and cannot understand the unflexibility of the scheme.
Thinking now tghat I should just sign over to NEA and then tell the Job Centre that I am unable to work if the doctor gives me a sick note and take it from that.
Any previous experience anybody has of my circumstances would be gratefully received.0 -
Hi everyone,
I started signing on last month after my work contract wasn't renewed. After some googling about going from JSA to self employment, I stumbled across the NEAS. I queried it with my work coach, who today said I can apply for it. I have a meeting next week at a different job centre in town, which I understand is with someone who will decide whether my business idea has legs. For this meeting I've been informed that I just need to go with information about my business idea, where I'll trade from (home, office, shop etc), whether I'll need to hire staff, how and where I'll advertise etc. My work coach said I don't need to take a business plan with me. Is that correct? Is there anything else I should take? Also, those of you who've had these meetings, what happened at the first one and what kind of things were you asked about?
Also, has anyone ever had an idea rejected? My business idea is online-based and relatively unusual, at least in the UK, so I'm a bit concerned this person I'm meeting won't see the value of it as a potential business. It's a growth industry though and I can provide figures to support this. I've actually started to put together content already (some copy, and the bare bones of a website) because I was aiming to sign off at some point and set up this business anyway. Would it be worth taking proof of this activity with me, or would they class that as working when I'm signing on? I've still been looking and applying for jobs while doing the business bits in the evenings.
I just want to give myself the best chance of being accepted as I hate being unemployed.
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HI Kitty
Your first meeting when 'reffered' by your work coach will be with someone who will decide if it's a viable business you are thinking of starting.
They do not require a business plan at this stage just ideas how you will sell products or a service.
The fact that you have proof that your idea is a growth industry should convince them to forward the plan to the next stage, so long as you are not trading or earning any money whilst you are putting content together is showing how passionate you are about making the business plan work.
Relax and just prepare youself for the meeting, I actually did mine over the phone and it lasted no longer than 10 minutes, and I was later told that they are under pressure to get people onto NEA .
Good luck but it sounds to me that luck will not come into it as you seem to have a great idea.
JACK0 -
jackrussell28 wrote: »HI Kitty
Your first meeting when 'reffered' by your work coach will be with someone who will decide if it's a viable business you are thinking of starting.
They do not require a business plan at this stage just ideas how you will sell products or a service.
The fact that you have proof that your idea is a growth industry should convince them to forward the plan to the next stage, so long as you are not trading or earning any money whilst you are putting content together is showing how passionate you are about making the business plan work.
Relax and just prepare youself for the meeting, I actually did mine over the phone and it lasted no longer than 10 minutes, and I was later told that they are under pressure to get people onto NEA .
Good luck but it sounds to me that luck will not come into it as you seem to have a great idea.
JACK
Thanks Jack,
I had the meeting today and it went really well. So well that I'm on the NEA scheme! Yay! He seemed to really love my idea, thankfully. I've got a 3-hour workshop later this week with a few other people who are also new recruits to the scheme, so I'll find out more then, but in the first instance I have 8 weeks to submit my business plan and get approval on it.
It's my signing on day tomorrow so I'll tell my work coach that I've been accepted. The man I saw today said that some work coaches make people still look and apply for work while their in the planning stage of NEAS, as you still have to sign on, but some don't. I'm hoping mine says I don't have to, as I really want to put all my time and effort into getting my business going now.
Onwards and upwards! :j0 -
Pleased to hear everything gone well, your Job centre advisor cannot expect you to look for full-time work whilst you are preparing your business plan over the next 8 weeks, you need to spend your time preparing for that.
Tell you advisor that you are still looking but for part-time work which may supplement your income once you begin your own business venture, that usually pacifies them, and keep logging in to the Universal Jobsite.
Remember once you have your plan passed , if that is 8 weeks from now , you have another 12 weeks before you have to sign over to NEA and start trading, all this time you keep receiving JSA
jack0 -
Thanks Jack,
I've been to sign on this morning and my work coach says that as soon as she receives official notification that I'm now on NEAS she'll change my client commitment so it states that I no longer have to look for work and instead should dedicate my time to my business plan and getting my business up and running. As I only had the meeting yesterday, she hasn't received notification yet but should have by the time I see her next week. In the meantime I have an NEAS workshop tomorrow, so I should find out much more then. I'm a bit concerned about my housing benefit and tax credits - I only went onto JSA at the end of Oct so they're still not fully sorted out yet and I'm not sure what will happen to those going forward. I'll ask tomorrow.
How long have you been on NEAS Jack? How are you finding it? Hope it was a success for you!0 -
Does anyone know if Enterprise Allowance covers Starting up as a self employed courrier for example with Hermes?0
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Does anyone know if Enterprise Allowance covers Starting up as a self employed courrier for example with Hermes?
Domcara, when I went on my workshop the other week, one of the other people in the group was setting up as a self employed courier. Not sure what companies he was going to look for work from (I know he was going to approach quite a few) but hopefully knowing that will reassure you that a courier is a valid business that they approve onto the scheme.0
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