Jobseekers / Self Employment Poverty Trap?

Moggle

I've been doing some part time work which is different every week and have to declare it each time I sign on. Most of the time it is over the £5 that you can earn before it's deducted from benefits so my gain is only £5, but I do it for the work experience, for something on my cv and to try to get enough contacts to go self employed. Twice in the last few months my Jobseekers has stopped because of the B7 (green forms which you declare work on) not going to the right place or being incomplete. If you do any work your claim has to go to a Decision Maker every fortnight. My Jobseekers was stopped in October because of three B7 forms from July. Two hadn't been filled in because I had interviews at the Jobcentre and they got overlooked and the other I had a copy of so they misplaced it. This has a knock on effect with Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit so now I owe rent. Jobseekers has been sorted out but they haven't.

It is really upsetting to have to worry about the next money coming in rather than concentrate on trying to increase contacts and start my business. It's hard to describe the feeling when that letter comes through the door and you have to sort everything out again.

If I didn't have to waste my energy like this making sure I can pay rent and bills, food I would have been able to get on with my business. Do you agree there is a 'poverty trap' that it's really hard to get out of?