incapacity benefit and starting my own business

sammierue

Here goes, Ive been on incapacity benifit for 10 years, with agrophobia and social phobia and a nervous breakdown, doctors didnt think id get as well as i have,

So i havent worked in 10 years, when i used to go to work before the symptoms above just used to hit me then after a realtionship breakdown i came to an end to be honest i didt think id ever get this far in life to think of starting again. and after no councling or right help.

i was really really bad didnt go out etc, anyway thats the past, i still have hang ups really bad ones and im scared of working again, i have tried charity work and i couldnt cope, the only thing i thought i could do was start my own business, which i have on the net, just started it however, all my benifit money i saved to make this happen, now i wouldnt mind doing a market stall once a week to see if i can cope, with this being my own business i feel more incontrol and im at home getting slowley back into it.

im more enthusiastic as its my own business and im intrested in the products i sell. im scared of telling the benifit people im doing this, because i think they will stop my money, they might think im fit for work, ive only just won a tribunal!!..

i want to help myself start a future and yes maybe one day get a shop! people say have a word with the job centre i dare not do this as then they will find out. help please

sorry if this sounds jumbled.

what should i do :eek:

will i still get any benifits, will they stop them, would i get more money as im trying myself to get to work. will their be pressure on me?

ps, if i started to look for really work i cannt really explain whats happened to me as mental illness has a really bad stigma, so this to me is the only way forward.

tallym

You should ring your local Jobcentre and ask to speak to an Incapacity Benefit Personal Adviser (IBPA) or Disability Employment Adviser (DEA): ask them, hypothetically, what help would be available to you if you were thinking about starting a business; you don't have to give your name, just describe your circumstances. They might suggest Permitted Work, a business start-up scheme, or many other options. If you start work (internet business, market stall or whatever) without declaring it, you are committing benefit fraud.

HappySad

This information is very helpful. With people on benefits you are always worried that if you try to return to work and it does not work out because of your disability that you will be stuck with no benefits and no job. I am completely unemployable so I am looking to work for myself where I can work on and off when I am well enough to make money. I an work completely flexibly and take time off when my conditions needs. An employee would not allow for this so having a supported return to work as a self employed it good.

I will call the adviser anonymously as see what he/she says.

colourblue

Hi
i think you are a remarkable person i like you have mental health problems i worked for an employer who didnt protect me in the work front by not defending me when i got attacked i went to a tribunal and won my case against my employers.
I FEEL that the government and the benefit agency are UNCARING they should go out of their way to help us because in the long run we will be saving the tax payer millions of pounds,it may be employing people that have the same problems as us instead we live in fear that because of our mental health at times kicks in.
maybe the government should respect us more trying our best to live with mental illness and trying to live normal lives,not giving up and finding a way we can work,so that we can cope instead they are only interested in getting us of the unemployment list in many cases would an employer allow me to work from home when im seeing bugs climbing up the walls becuase im stressed so the benefit agency and government listen to what we have to say, get your act together we should lobby government for an act of parliament to give us safe guards so that remarkable people like you dont have to live in fear and being blocked by democracy.

colourblue

Hi
i think you are a remarkable person i like you have mental health problems i worked for an employer who didnt protect me in the work front by not defending me when i got attacked i went to a tribunal and won my case against my employers.
I FEEL that the government and the benefit agency are UNCARING they should go out of their way to help us because in the long run we will be saving the tax payer millions of pounds,it may be employing people that have the same problems as us instead we live in fear that because of our mental health at times kicks in.
maybe the government should respect us more trying our best to live with mental illness and trying to live normal lives,not giving up and finding a way we can work,so that we can cope instead they are only interested in getting us of the unemployment list in many cases would an employer allow me to work from home when im seeing bugs climbing up the walls becuase im stressed so the benefit agency and government listen to what we have to say, get your act together we should lobby government for an act of parliament to give us safe guards so that remarkable people like you dont have to live in fear and being blocked by democracy.

HappySad

tallym wrote: »

You should ring your local Jobcentre and ask to speak to an Incapacity Benefit Personal Adviser (IBPA) or Disability Employment Adviser (DEA): ask them, hypothetically, what help would be available to you if you were thinking about starting a business; you don't have to give your name, just describe your circumstances. They might suggest Permitted Work, a business start-up scheme, or many other options. If you start work (internet business, market stall or whatever) without declaring it, you are committing benefit fraud.

Great just found this thread again.

jdturk

HappySad wrote: »

Great just found this thread again.

ummm....Why?