Step-Dad sprained wrist

ootie

Hi all, wondered if anyone could help with this one please.

Step Dad is a self-employed painter and decorator. Business has been slack for the past couple of years, guess most people are now doing their own, and not a lot of new build about, and he has been claiming a "small" amount of wtc (sorry not sure how much, he won't say :rolleyes: )

He has recently sprained his wrist, and will not be able to work for 2 maybe 3 weeks.

No insurance, as there's just himself to bother about now, he "doesn't see the point".

He has enough food etc to last until he's back working apart from basic fresh, and isn't too worried about bills etc, he pretty sure he'll be fine juggling for a couple of weeks.

His worry though is if he signs on to the sick (I believe but not sure, it's now esa?). He presumes he won't actually get any money as he's self employed, but that he'll get his ni stamp paid, which is his main concern. But if he is on the sick, does he have to come off wtc, and then reclaim when he's back working again?

Thank you for reading, and for anyone's help.

AnxiousMum

If he has a sprained wrist - I'm sure there's a few things that he may not be able to do - but he could certainly still be out doing quotes etc. couldn't he - and ensuring he was busy lining up work for his return?

Hopefully he now sees the point of having insurance - even if it is only him.

ootie

Thanks AnxiousMum. Yes I agree, but I think I'd be banging my head against a brick wall!

He knows he won't get any money, indeed he probably wouldn't take it if he was able to, Mr Stubborn, but it's his NI contributions he's worried about more than anything!

Bogof_Babe

If he's self employed presumably he pays his own NI stamps anyway, so why can't he do as the poster above suggests and use the time to do paperwork etc., thus not being "off work", so he can pay his own stamp and still claim his tc's?

ootie

Yes he does pay NI stamps, I think you're both right, will suggest to him that he doesn't need to bother with the being on the sick thing.
I think he's worried that he has to do 30 hours a week though to be on the right side of things.
Sure he can manage to get a backlog of office work done though and I know he's very keen to get back to work properly, he's not one for keeping still at the best of times.

Oldernotwiser

ootie wrote: »

Yes he does pay NI stamps, I think you're both right, will suggest to him that he doesn't need to bother with the being on the sick thing.
I think he's worried that he has to do 30 hours a week though to be on the right side of things.
Sure he can manage to get a backlog of office work done though and I know he's very keen to get back to work properly, he's not one for keeping still at the best of times.

All the hours spent running a business, admin etc is counted as work, not just putting on paper and paint.

Bogof_Babe

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

All the hours spent running a business, admin etc is counted as work, not just putting on paper and paint.

He could spend a fortnight studying painting and decorating supplies catalogues, and still call it working.