Construction industry scheme - HELP PLEASE

tiptoes27

My son left college in July and registered as umemployed as he could not find any work. He did a bricklaying course for two and a half years which he has now passed. He was offered temp work by a local builder for two months from Sept to Nov which he took and the builder told him to register for self employment under the Construction Industry Scheme which he did. He has now been unemployed since 21st November and has received a request from the Inland Revenue for class 2 NI contrubutions. He is only 18 and this is all new to us so a few questions.

Spoke to IRS and they said that if he is still looking for work in the construction industry he will have to stay registerted as self employed and pay the contributions. I said he is not SELF EMPLOYED but UNEMPLOYED but they do not see it like that. He is actively looking for work in any industry, supermarket, warehouse etc and within the construction industry so I am not sure what to do now. Should I get him to UNREGISTER as self employed and if the next job he gets happens to be in construction again -re-register? can you do this every time you finish a temp job?

He is hoping to get job seekers benefit while he is not working and has made a claim in November, althoug he has not got any money yet due to them cancelling his claim in error forcing him to do a new claim two weeks ago. He has no had any money since 21st November and does not want to pay additional NI unnecessarly.
We are confused - please help.

fengirl_2

Yes, I think he should un-register and register again if he gets a contract.

Unstoppable_2

Just to put a fly in the ointment. On CIS, he'll have been paying Class 2 NI, not Class 1 so isn't entitled to contributions based benefits which means that he may not get any JSA.