I'm confused, very confused - IB and Self Employed issue

SteveCat

foxxymynx wrote: »

Truthfully, I have no idea what the score is, though I think you may be right. I'm out of my league on this kind of stuff, I just know where to seek advice if that makes sense?

Ok thanks babe, you have helped me know end with the web site link so thanks for that again.

foxxymynx

You're welcome

Horace

SteveCat wrote: »

I actually described it as a 'Business of sort' if it was a Business as you probably feel it is then it would be paying me a wage. It does not! It collects taxable Rent from Investment Property that is all. I must admit I do want to come off these Benefits but not for this reason, I actually want to start a income based Business but am being put off due to the serious lack of advise that is around. I actually went to a meeting a little while back and this topic arose regarding permitted work on Benefits, the conclusion was that even the advisors don't know the rules. In summary because of it the claimants all decided they wouldn't enquire about what to do due to the fear of losing their already Benefits. Its ridiculous and advise on calling my local Benefit office puts the fear of god into me as they really don't know their !!!!!! from their elbows.

There is a way of setting up a business but I don't know if you can do it whilst claiming incapacity benefit, but you can do it if you are claiming unemployment benefit.

I am currently on a programme with the jobcentre called New Deal for Disabled with view to Self Employment. Unfortunately, at the beginning my DEA sent me to my local chamber of commerce for some free courses and when I submitted my business plan was immediately told that I was on the wrong programme. I then had to contact my DEA to ensure that she knew about the programme (she claimed not to know) so I made her speak to the chamber.

It starts off that you meet with a mentor at the chamber of commerce - this first interview determines whether or not your idea is a good one and whether or not the business would be viable - this is called Stage I. Then you go onto Stage II where you meet your mentor once a week and update him/her on the tasks that you have said that you would do in an attempt to set up your business. This goes on for several weeks and then you start - I signed the relevant paperwork on Monday and will see the chamber next Monday which is when my test-trading period will start (Stage III). During the test trading period, you can pay cheques into a business bank account but can only withdraw expenses if you show receipts to your mentor at the chamber (the business account is yours at the end of the test trading period). During test trading (6 months) you will pick up your JSA as well as an additional training allowance of £15.38 a week (you can use this for petrol). You no longer sign on but you still get your money and you still have to have regular meetings with the chamber.

I think that you should speak to your Disability Employment Advisor at your local jobcentre for more information on working whilst on IB or switching to JSA and setting up a business from there.

Sure some of them in the jobcentres don't know their !!!!!! from their elbows so to speak but you need to talk to the right people and not to the person who answers the phone - they are only human and don't know everything. The best person to speak to as I said above is your Disability Employment Advisor - I would have thought that you would have access to one of these even though you are claiming IB. You could also ask your DEA about support to get you back into work - they work with a charitable trust called The Shaw Trust which is there to help and support people back into work and even into their own business.

You should also remember that the jobcentre/benefits people are not used to dealing with professionals - they are more used to dealing with those that are content to live on benefits and without wanting to sound snobby, those more suited to dead end jobs. Put a professional qualified person in front of them and they haven't got a clue - I just smile and nod knowingly because that's the only way that I can deal with them, I don't bother getting stroppy with them because it will only stress me out.

Hope this helps.

SteveCat

Horace wrote: »

There is a way of setting up a business but I don't know if you can do it whilst claiming incapacity benefit, but you can do it if you are claiming unemployment benefit.

I am currently on a programme with the jobcentre called New Deal for Disabled with view to Self Employment. Unfortunately, at the beginning my DEA sent me to my local chamber of commerce for some free courses and when I submitted my business plan was immediately told that I was on the wrong programme. I then had to contact my DEA to ensure that she knew about the programme (she claimed not to know) so I made her speak to the chamber.

It starts off that you meet with a mentor at the chamber of commerce - this first interview determines whether or not your idea is a good one and whether or not the business would be viable - this is called Stage I. Then you go onto Stage II where you meet your mentor once a week and update him/her on the tasks that you have said that you would do in an attempt to set up your business. This goes on for several weeks and then you start - I signed the relevant paperwork on Monday and will see the chamber next Monday which is when my test-trading period will start (Stage III). During the test trading period, you can pay cheques into a business bank account but can only withdraw expenses if you show receipts to your mentor at the chamber (the business account is yours at the end of the test trading period). During test trading (6 months) you will pick up your JSA as well as an additional training allowance of £15.38 a week (you can use this for petrol). You no longer sign on but you still get your money and you still have to have regular meetings with the chamber.

I think that you should speak to your Disability Employment Advisor at your local jobcentre for more information on working whilst on IB or switching to JSA and setting up a business from there.

Sure some of them in the jobcentres don't know their !!!!!! from their elbows so to speak but you need to talk to the right people and not to the person who answers the phone - they are only human and don't know everything. The best person to speak to as I said above is your Disability Employment Advisor - I would have thought that you would have access to one of these even though you are claiming IB. You could also ask your DEA about support to get you back into work - they work with a charitable trust called The Shaw Trust which is there to help and support people back into work and even into their own business.

You should also remember that the jobcentre/benefits people are not used to dealing with professionals - they are more used to dealing with those that are content to live on benefits and without wanting to sound snobby, those more suited to dead end jobs. Put a professional qualified person in front of them and they haven't got a clue - I just smile and nod knowingly because that's the only way that I can deal with them, I don't bother getting stroppy with them because it will only stress me out.

Hope this helps.

Some good points i'm sure and thanks, the one thing that glaringly stands out from your post which I think is important is that stopping a Disabled person from setting up a Business would lead to those doing it ending up in the High Court with a case of serious discrimination against them. I'm sure in saying that if an able Bodied person can set up a Business then so can a Disabled person on Benefits or not. Just my opnion like!

Horace

Steve - did you know that there are more disabled entrepreneurs out there than able bodied ones?

SteveCat

Horace wrote: »

Steve - did you know that there are more disabled entrepreneurs out there than able bodied ones?

I didn't but it wouldn't surprise me either Horace. However I stick by what I said, I really cannot see that being right due to the discrimination issues that would surely exist with it. 'You cannot set up a Business because you are claiming Benefits due to a disability' just doesn't sound right mate.

foxxymynx

SteveCat wrote: »

I didn't but it wouldn't surprise me either Horace. However I stick by what I said, I really cannot see that being right due to the discrimination issues that would surely exist with it. 'You cannot set up a Business because you are claiming Benefits due to a disability' just doesn't sound right mate.

I know that alot of disabled people are self employed because they couldn't find someone who would employ them and let them work in accordance with their disability needs....they wanted to work and that was the only way.

Horace

SteveCat wrote: »

I didn't but it wouldn't surprise me either Horace. However I stick by what I said, I really cannot see that being right due to the discrimination issues that would surely exist with it. 'You cannot set up a Business because you are claiming Benefits due to a disability' just doesn't sound right mate.

I didnt say that you couldnt set up a business if you are claiming benefits, I am just not sure about the IB issue because getting IB means that you are incapacitated and therefore unable to work at the present time. Go and speak to your DEA because he/she will have more answers than me. I have never claimed IB so I am only giving advice from a JSA perspective.

Try speaking to The Shaw Trust (I will post the web details on here shortly) as they work specifically with disabled people.

Here is the link - it takes you directly to the page about being on IB.

http://www.shaw-trust.org.uk/page/6/93/95/

nanokitten

Stevecat, sounds like you need to speak to the senior benefits advisor at your local CAB. You need someone who knows what they are taking about to liase between you and the benefis agency and to do their home work Before youcantact jobcentre plus.

Certainly for tax perposes rental houses are considered an investment and not a buisness (so I would be very careful of what language you use when writing to the jobcentre (never ring) as most officers there are very poorly trained and will jump on what you say).

having said that benefits law is not neccessarily the same thing and they make it deliberatly hard to find out.

I'd make an enquirey at the CAB, they should do a home visit and be able to look stuff up (case law etc) for you and then between you you can approach the benefits agency well prepared.