New Enterprise Allowance scheme - My story

Lin_May

My husband and I are making JSA joint claim.
My question is, if my husband gets NEA approval and when he starts receiving NEA allowance, am I still entitled to keep receiving JSA possibly as a single claim?

Appreciate if anyone can enlighten me.

Thank you.

Lin

sealady

Have not read the entire thread but here is my very recent experience of getting on the NEA scheme. I was made redundant at the end of March 2013 and decided immediately I wanted to open my own business. My business idea was to offer craft workshops to kids and adults in the local town's high street. Once my redundancy actually happened, I signed onto JSA and at the same time as looking for work, I started researching my business idea. Met with the local Business Association members to see if they though it would work in the high street. I also attended a brilliant two day start your own business course which I found incredibly useful. This had nothing to do with Job Centre and I paid for it myself but it was so worth the money. Fast forward to July, I asked to be referred for the NEA as I had already found the premises, and as part of the business course started my business plan. Luckily I got an appointment within the same week, and met with the advisor. By the beginning of the following week I had sent him my business plan on their template, it was approved and I signed off on the 31 July, just 3 days before my shop opened.

I have only heard from my mentor on one occasion and that was when I phoned him for some advice about marketing, and he put me in touch with someone who is also on the NEA scheme and her business is marketing for new businesses.

Hope this helps those starting on the NEA journey. I have now had the official opening of my business and hoping it will go from strength to strength

s450

What happens with the jobcenter and the NEA if I move to another flat in another area of the city?
Will I lose my business adviser?

andyscott

s450 wrote: »

What happens with the jobcenter and the NEA if I move to another flat in another area of the city?
Will I lose my business adviser?

That depends on which business enterprise is working in partnership in that area. You may be lucky and have the same agency.

s450

andyscott wrote: »

That depends on which business enterprise is working in partnership in that area. You may be lucky and have the same agency.

But if the agency does not work in that area? what happens? It can't be that I will lose it only because I move to another flat.
There must be a solution.

pinkypoopydoo

Then you'll be referred to the agency local to your new area. If things are done sensibly, then your current mentor should hand over to a new one, with no break.

Crisp_£_note

In one way I am glad I found this post today and in another im not. I came on MSE to ask for advice about this exact scheme as I had a phone call from my local advisor at the JobCentre who I have seen twice this year since my IB was switched to ESA. We agreed that this scheme was probably the ideal way for me to go. I was told that my benefit as it was would run until sometime in 2015 as I was still entitled without a review. I was lucky enough not to have to have a medical to be switched from the one benefit to the other.

Anyway we agreed that it was probably better for me to wait until May next year when my payment for benefit would be cut as my credits would have run out and be looking at signing onto this scheme around about the end of April so it was a smooth transfer and I wouldnt be without any money just have to tighten my belt more as the £65 a week kicked in and this would give me even more incentive to make the business idea I had a success and profit. All these good claims and I was feeling satisfied with it all.

Then this week I have a call from the advisor at the JobCentre who says the scheme is ending very soon so if I want to go onto it I will have to decide asap as once it has ended I will never get another chance :eek:

Ok I thought (after calming myself a little) I will just have to change plans and start earlier. Perhaps it wasnt such a bad thing as other things were falling into place and I was feeling a littl restricted with JobCentre criteria and earning more income etc I thought maybe it was meant to be (I beleive some things happen in order for a reason and this may have been one of them :mad:)

However after reading this thread it has left me more informed and less positive and very confused as to the right move to make next.

What has happend to the OP ? Were their experiences in the end good or bad?

My scenario is that my husband is also Self Employed and is currently struggling to find work. He supports himself over the summer season with an extra job doing car-park work at festivals but this year he hasnt managed to do many as even that company has had to cut down.

Winter time is often a struggle for him / us but we have pulled through many a time, just have to find a way dont you.

The advisor mentioned that although my ESA benefit would be cut my husband has a right (if he is struggling) to sign on to JSA himself and he would just complete a form each week to show what working hours he had done and this amount would be deducted from his benefit that he would be entitled to??
I remember he used to do this in the early days when he first set up but it was a bit of a hit and miss farce then as a lot of the time he either didnt get paid anything (despite saying he only worked 2 hours a week and back then that was £20 wages for the week) or they suspended his payments as he was earning too little (yes not earning enough)! So at the moment he is reluctant to sign on although we already so desprately need the help (and of course it will get much worse).

We currently rent our property and are half expecting to have to move. Does the Housing and Council Tax Benefits get affected by this scheme? Then again when my benefit is cut will these benefits be cut also (perhaps I would be seen as no longer entitled?).

What would happen to the Working Tax Credits my husband is entitled to I went on the scheme? Again what would happen to them when my benefit is cut next year?

I know this post has answered a lot more of my questions and confirmed some fears that the benefits and JobCentre system is still as diabolical now as it ever was. But its also left me with more concerns now as to what I should be doing. I know I wont be in with a chance of getting a loan as I have a 'spent' DRO and am still within the 6 year ban (and to be honest if I have to pay it back then they can stuff it - especially at their rates. I wouldnt consider a £9 - £45 a month loan now let alone in a year if I was successfull). And if I am honest not having the support from the mentor and the scheme itself as promised I wouldnt be very happy at all and my idea of SE would probably sink with it. By the sounds of it id be better off going it alone and finding a bank with a business start up mentor and course from my local Enterprise and Chamber of Commerce.

Although I was happy to find this thread thinking it through I was all nervouse but up for the change in plans and going for it early but now honestly after reading this thread I am confused, petrified and dont know what to do for the best and me and my husbands future !! I have to say without the benefit we are on now we would not be able to survive, weve cut back wherever we can dont have loans or credit cards and live hand to mouth week by week. Were managing and doing ok for ourselves at the moment but im not looking foward to winter and im not looking foward to the changes but I would like to be SE like hubby

Lin_May

Lin_May wrote: »

My husband and I are making JSA joint claim.
My question is, if my husband gets NEA approval and when he starts receiving NEA allowance, am I still entitled to keep receiving JSA possibly as a single claim?

Appreciate if anyone can enlighten me.

Thank you.

Lin

Can anybody give any idea to me?

s450

pinkypoopydoo wrote: »

Then you'll be referred to the agency local to your new area. If things are done sensibly, then your current mentor should hand over to a new one, with no break.

What if I do not tell the agency that I moved to another flat/area of the city?
I know that I have to communicate any change both to the Jobcenter as well as to the Housing Benefit Department, but coulnd't I just stay at the same NEA agency ?

TrueBlue1965

If your in the same City. Its very unlikely that you will be moved to another provider of NEA. My City has 3 different providers. I could have been placed with any of them. Nothing to do with which part of the City you live in from what im being told by my JCP. Once JCP put the referral though to your NEA provider. Thats it for your job search. The only involvement JCP should have with you. Is making sure that you are working towards starting your own business with the help of NEA and signing you on in the normal way. Changing your signing place should have no issues with NEA as you are in effect still actively seeking work but from a different address and nothing more. New JCP adviser will have access to your records and should just allow you to complete the business plan part of NEA before you sign off from JSA. Its for you and your mentor to agree a meeting place that suits you both! I meet my mentor every Friday in Tesco,s cafe as it saves us both going in to my City centre!

Crisp £ Note, do you have a disabilities adviser or just a regular JSP adviser? Have they said anything about Access to Work? Plentry of potential money and help available to help you get back in to work even if your on NEA and starting your own business. Anything up to £10,000 depending on the type of barrier/disability and support that might make all the difference in making your business work. Im dyslexic. It says on my dyslexia report that access to a computer, printer and photo copying would be of great help while doing my degree. My dyslexia is now a potential barrier to me making a success of my business or getting a job. So, i will be pushing for the funding to get this equipment for my new business. Take advantage of everything and anything that can make a difference to if your business idea is going to work There is nothing to lose if you go on the business plan part of NEA. You will still get your benefits until your business plan is passed by NEA. Then, you either go for it or carry on with your benefits in the same way. Make sure that your business plan is well researched before you agree to go on the payment part of NEA. However, you might still be able to gain some extra benefits depending on your condition/disability. If the business fails. You simply go back on benefits again. Sounds like a no brainer to me. A win, win even if its a little earlier in going on NEA than you hoped or expected it would be.