New Enterprise Allowance scheme - My story

WantToBeSE

andyscott wrote: »

Tell WTC that you work more hours than you really do. It could be calling potential clients, delivering flyers, updating facebook, sourcing new suppliers online.

Although i do agree that he could be working more hours than he is putting down on his claim form for WTC, i also think that if he isn't earning any money from his business, and solely rely on the NEA money, it's time to call it quits on the NEA scheme.

NYM

andyscott wrote: »

Im suggesting maybe he is doing more work for his business than he realises.

You actually advised someone to "Tell WTC that you work more hours than you really do."

andyscott wrote: »

To be honest I dont mind anyone who is genuinely trying to get a business going adding a few hours onto WTC claim. Its when you actually try to make a go of things in this country that you get stabbed in the back.

far too many sitting on benefits who will never work a day in their life and will always have money and never have JC+ say anything to them.

I admire anyone that is genuinely trying to better themselves, but to do so by any other means than honestly, is not the way to do it. They would be no different to those 'sitting on benefits' the JC+ never apparently say anything to.

WantToBeSE

cottonshope wrote: »

Don't do it. If you want to start working for yourself, come up with your business plan in your spare time and then come of JSA and apply for income support, etc.

I am a bit confused..why would someone end their claim for JSA and go onto Income Support?

Andy2013

Welcome tocottonshope another unhappy member of NEA !!

Sounds like your having a bad time.

crumblencustard , WTC could be the answer but you say you don't do enough hours???? surely you can rack up 30+ as I cant imagine any business doing less than 30 hours ever going to work .

Although WTC is calculated on your previous tax year so if you worked then it may scupper things .

NYM I don't think they mean screw the system but lets be honest we all need as much help as possible and WTC gives you that help.

I hear a lot of people saying "they don't do enough hours" to claim WTC but when you add every hour you do towards your business it surprises us how many we do actually work.

andyscott is simply saying play the game to get what we need to get us through this hard transition into self employment,

Honesty is the best policy but business I am learning is ruthless,

NYM

Andy2013 wrote: »

Welcome tocottonshope another unhappy member of NEA !!

Sounds like your having a bad time.

crumblencustard , WTC could be the answer but you say you don't do enough hours???? surely you can rack up 30+ as I cant imagine any business doing less than 30 hours ever going to work .

Although WTC is calculated on your previous tax year so if you worked then it may scupper things .

NYM I don't think they mean screw the system but lets be honest we all need as much help as possible and WTC gives you that help.

I hear a lot of people saying "they don't do enough hours" to claim WTC but when you add every hour you do towards your business it surprises us how many we do actually work.

andyscott is simply saying play the game to get what we need to get us through this hard transition into self employment,

Honesty is the best policy but business I am learning is ruthless,

I work for myself. I work far more hours than I bill for, but that's because I'm very methodical and check and double check every entry.

The results of my work is what I invoice for, not how long it's taken me to achieve it.

I work for, amongst others, several one-man businesses
Once a week/month, I do their Sales and Purchase ledgers. I raise their invoices/payments to creditors in fact, I do everything 'office wise' apart from answering their phones !

It allows them to keep track of their income/expenditure so they know exactly where they are on a daily basis. More importantly, it frees them up to concentrate on the productive side of their businesses and satisfies HMRC because they get their taxes paid on time.

I'm sure I've read threads about being self-employed and WTC and I thought that the very minimum requirement to be able to claim is that all hours booked as working must be remunerative at least at the national minimum wage. So the more hours claimed to be working is likely to be counter productive.

Andy2013

Well that's very difficult for online business like myself whom may spend 40 hours a week sourcing stock and listing on ebay which is the bulk of my "work" but only receive monies in after listings end which for me is generally a set time/day each week to capitalise on productivity.


Lets say someone works in a shop and there primary job is to serve customers at a till.

They could argue that this is there sole purpose of employment , but during the day they also stack shelves, mop the floor and these could be argued are part of there job role which they get paid for.

Self employment is no different , we have a "Main" job which is the bulk of our employment but we also do a lot of other smaller jobs all related which can also be classed as "Work" .

The definition on the WTC website is

" If you're self-employed, paid work means any work you do for payment (or would expect to be paid) or profit. "

And that is the point , my efforts like most of us have one goal and that is to " profit" from the work we do.

So for every hour that someone puts in that is related to there self employment is "work" as the end result hopefully if all goes well is "profit"

NYM

Andy2013 wrote: »

Well that's very difficult for online business like myself whom may spend 40 hours a week sourcing stock and listing on ebay which is the bulk of my "work" but only receive monies in after listings end which for me is generally a set time/day each week to capitalise on productivity.

Presumably, you price your product accordingly. ?

Andy2013 wrote: »

Lets say someone works in a shop and there primary job is to serve customers at a till.

They could argue that this is there sole purpose of employment , but during the day they also stack shelves, mop the floor and these could be argued are part of there job role which they get paid for.

That is a very poor argument. Unless they have a contract stating they're employed exclusively to undertake only a particular role, then they can be 'used' by their employer to undertake other tasks associated with the business.

Andy2013 wrote: »

Self employment is no different , we have a "Main" job which is the bulk of our employment but we also do a lot of other smaller jobs all related which can also be classed as "Work" .

The definition on the WTC website is

" If you're self-employed, paid work means any work you do for payment (or would expect to be paid) or profit. "

And that is the point , my efforts like most of us have one goal and that is to " profit" from the work we do.

So for every hour that someone puts in that is related to there self employment is "work" as the end result hopefully if all goes well is "profit"

To be self-employed everything you do is geared towards earning a living. However, it still remains that it is the product you're selling that brings in the income.

As for e-bay :mad: ... many private sellers should realistically be registered as businesses but they don't. They get away with selling brand new stock without all the encumbrances that genuine businesses have to adhere to.

It is a tough world in business, but by over-looking those that circumvent the 'rules' only makes it tougher for the genuine.

crumblencustard

Wow thank you for you varied opinions.

Maybe I should have explained every little detail of my situation to help out the self righteous???!!!.... :mad: . but I'm not going to :T . However....... I have just moved (during my NEA start-up period) from one end of the country to another. Not great timing, but needs must. Hence not having a sufficient client base in my new area, and not having capitol/ turnover to provide for my growing family.

The reason for attempting to join the benefit system in some way.

For those that have suggested WTC. I have easily proved the required 30+ (only 24hrs if your partner is pregnant) hours needed and this has opened the door for my wife to be able to claim the "sure start".

I hope this information helps others.

Thanks again

BYE

This_Year

Just got the email confirming my training next week - it now seems real! Some light reading to do before I go (think I've already read most of it, having had a quick skim of the links they recommend [HMRC etc]) and to draw up a list of any burning questions to ask.

Oh and I need to do a basic literacy and numeracy test online and email my score before I go.

WantToBeSE

Good luck, This Year

Have just been emailed the rota for next week and i have 14 hours They have said that that will be my weekly clients, but that if i want a few extra i just have to say so. At the moment i am not doing any work on a Tuesday as i have allocated that day as a paperwork day. But i may see if i can get a few private clients in on that day.