New Enterprise Allowance scheme - My story

Tommo1980

I love your username SoftKitty. Makes me think of Sheldon Cooper every time a see you post.

Tom

naturaljazz

How long do youhave to besigning on before you can apply for NEA?
All new single claimants in our area are put on Universal Credit... so does that count in terms of going on NEA? Just read if your on the Work Programme you cannot go on NEA? So if one has a business idea say after university, (my son) sign on and say quite soon that you want to go for the NEA ... is that correct?
He would not need the loan so credit check etc would not apply to him.

FGdsa21

Does not make a difference if on JSA or Universal Credit same criteria applies when applying for NEA, your son's work coach at JCPlus should have all the information he needs
.
This link has info ..........
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/517245/back-to-work-guide.pdf

Nick187_2

Hi guys, sorry for the "bump" but this thread interests me.

I'm currently on Universal Credit and I was talking to my JC adviser and they recommended me to this scheme (gave me the options of similar schemes, but I preferred this one) after I mentioned the possibility of self employment now I have finished a part-time course I was on. Honestly, it's very convenient for me on paper.

My JC adviser hasn't yet referred me onto the NEA people, I am currently completing my business plan before I am referred onto them. I have never created a business plan, I am actually using the business plan template to the "Princes Trust". Is it common to complete the business plan before a meeting with the people at NEA? The only reason I ask is, some people on here seem to have been referred onto NEA and are still creating a business plan.

Even though you don't have too, would it be more convenient for me to complete/partially complete a business plan before I am referred, anyway?

If anybody with experience of being on this scheme could help me that would be great.

Also, just a general question for people on the scheme, is it actually helpful and has it been successful for you?

Thank you!

FGdsa21

Hi Nick

When you say that you are preparing a business plan, you say your JC adviser has asked you to do this?
Obviously your JC adviser has listened to you about business you are thinking of starting up and thinks it is worthwhile you applying to join the NEA scheme.

Back to the business plan, all I did initially is a very broad outline business plan, who would be my customers, is there a demand in the area, would it support me full-time, etc. Once you have convinced NEA that your business could succeed then you have to provide , with the help of a NEA mentor a full business plan projected over 12 months, they provide the templates for this and help you through the process, once your adviser is satisfied with the business plan it then goes before the NEA Mangers who will decide if you are accepted onto the scheme.

Obviously things can change but I was told by NEA that they was struggling to meet the numbers at the time to meet targets of getting people onto NEA, so if you have a sound plan you should be fine.

Good Luck
Jack

ElleWoods

Hope everyone is getting on ok with the NEAS. I've been on the scheme since February and I'm putting my income figures together ready to submit my 2016-17 tax return. Can anyone confirm whether the NEAS payments should be declared to HMRC as part of my tax return and if so, is the NEAS money taxable? I asked my mentor and he basically said he doesn't know and to ask an accountant (helpful, huh?!). However I don't have an accountant and haven't got the budget for one, so I was hoping someone on here could clarify for me, please.

algaeholics

Hi Kitty

NEA is not taxable from what I have read.
Google: 'Proceduralguidance 25 Feb13.pdf' - and check point 136.

Now a question of my own:

I've been unemployed for some time and have been dabbling, as a hobby, with BitCoin Mining - ie. you can get paid by sharing your computer resources globally to authenticate decentralised transactions.

It IS profitable, though that profitability relies on the value of BitCoin (which is up and up) and the exchange rate between EUR and GBP and the costs of electricity.

Given that all three parameters have volatility, could this be regarded as a viable business plan?

I have three devices with the potential to generate a total gross profit circa £50-£60 per week.

Adding further devices is perfectly feasible, subject to loan funding and/or reinvesting some or all of the profit short to mid term.

hrojro

Hiya
Was you able to just stop the NEA benefit and claim JSA? I client i support is on NEA and has had a mental breakdown and we claimed ESA on the advice of the job centre (who didn't know anything about NEA by the way) and they refused his claim for ESA for reasons of he is director of a company and would have to dissolve the company, then explain why he didn't claim sick... they said this could take months. My clients payments of NEA have come to a full stop. Any advice appreciated. banging my head against a brick wall at the minute. Welfare advice centers do not know about NEA either. Liverpool area.

yibdibyurr-yeah,yeah,yeah

Hi there folks just thought I'd chip in on a new experience with the NEA for general edification.

I have a good friend who did the NEA scheme to great success where I live, in Glasgow. This person is now making a decent living as a sole trader. So I'd been thinking about it for a while.

My background is that I've been working quite a few different reaaally crappy jobs for a seemingly neverending saga of time. Basically I had it up to HERE with my last job, chucked it a couple of weeks ago, and not having something immediately lined up, I went on the dole until I could find something tolerable (I'm pretty experienced, done half the low-paid jobs out there, don't ever have trouble getting work and prefer to be in work (/actually have enough money to live off!!) but couldn't abide my present situation, so here I landed).

At the job centre I happend to see a leaflet about the NEA and remembered my pal. So I says to them, what about this, eh? (I have a particular skill I can see a good niche in to develop a somewhat decent self-employed income from). They say, well sure we can sign you up for it and you'll go and meet them and if they think your idea is viable they'll give you the go ahead and help you develop your idea into a business (bla blah, you know how it works).

That was last week, I'm meeting the good folk who arbitrate the NEA in these here parts the morrow - will re-post my update here after that!

The only thing I have since come to realise I find somewhat odd is that apparently it seems one is supposed to have been signing on for what 26 weeks, or something? Well I'd been signing on for just one little week and they didn't say anything about this whatsoever. I had no idea until today when I stumbled across this information. We shall see I suppose... and I will just not mention it for now.

Anyway I will come back here with any other info I think might be helpful to somebody else. But I just wanted to bring this to people's attention. The people at the JC seemed incredibly blas!/clueless about it to be quite honest. The impression I got is that they find the benefits system as stupefyingly !!!!ing baffling as everybody else, which is very unsurprising.
:eek:

frenchplonka

Hey Guys I kinda stumble across this in error as I was looking for when the 66 per week commenced I to was informed it would be in addition to my UC payments of 662 a month ( I did think this sounded to good to be true ) I have not looked into it but what Is the process once you have gone through the business planning stage? What help it terms of benefits are available ( I'm 37 male living alone )...

Anyway so about my NEA experience had no issues getting onto the course, had the initial group meeting to explain the NEA seems a nice chap.

Attend the follow up meeting to see if my idea was a good one, viable and do able - seems to think so and I'm going in for my first workshop tomorrow at 1pm ( Marketing I believe )

So My business idea is: Men's Grooming supplier using eCommerce so in a nut shell Beard balm, oils, mustache waxes and grooming gift sets this is a growing sector and something I have thought about for a year.

WHAT HAVE I DONE SO FAR

I have approached suppliers of the items I wish to stock on my website and will be going down two routes: Short term drop shipping the items from UK suppliers at trade prices and getting my profit from the Mark up Long term Same suppliers offer a white label service which I can then brand myself and promote more aggressively on my website.

I have built my website pretty much if anyone wants a quick look ill email u some screen shots, but I have products on there and it is ready to go live, just need to add a few finishing touches to it and learn more about Facebook ads etc so I can drive traffic that way.

All that's left to do is produce the business plan in detail, get my head round forecasts etc attended all my workshops and in that time I hope to have the website up and running and trading whilst on the NEA prior to the 12 end date.

Sorry if this post is a ramble mess