New Enterprise Allowance scheme - My story

TrueBlue1965

s450, The adviser you spoke to on the phone told you that the money should have been transferred last Monday, but you cannot see any money in your account yet. Take control. You need to get a copy of your bank statement covering the dates since you signed off JSA. Take it to your JCP office and explain that you have not had any NEA payments yet. Im sure your payments will get sorted out very quickly!

A letter confirming that you are now on NEA would have helped. However, you need to stop worrying, take control and and start trading.

You also need to do all the other things i,ve suggested to get the other benefits sorted out ASAP. Take control. Housing Benefit and Working Tax credits are not a handout. They are what you are entitled to while your making your new business work!

In the event that you dont get the NEA payments. You can always sign back on to JSA if needed. Then make a complaint regarding NEA. Your JSA would be back dated based on the wrong information being given to you. However, it does sound like there is a simple problem with your NEA payments. Take control.

Its your new business. Make it work!

treenie01

I felt exactly the same. You just have to keep chasing them. I ended up being put on a temporary NI number to get my payments. I think it took two weeks overall but the first payment was every I was owed.

I'm having trouble again because they did the paperwork to start the lower payments and it's obviously cancelled out the last of my higher payments. I've been chasing them all week about it. The frustrating thing is they tell you it's easier to go in but to go to the Jc that's a whole day of work I'm losing.

They certainly don't make it easy

Andy2013

To be honest NEA seems much more of a hindrance than a help as we all seem to be having, or have had multiple issues which are taking time to get sorted, time that your business needs to succeed .

s450 , YOU have to take control, in the grander scheme of things this is a minor problem and during the coming months you will encounter much bigger issues that only YOU can get sorted so take the bull by the horns , do some shouting and get this sorted because your stressing and wasting energy that you need to put into your business.

I would say "trust them they know what they are doing" but we all know that is probably not the case as most don't know there a** from there elbow so phone them up , email them but do something rather than nothing.

treenie01 the same happened to me ,luckily I did have a helpful chap I knew well and he had it sorted that day but in a much earlier post I have said that be prepared for this issue as almost everyone I have known has had it happen to them. Keep pushing.

s450

Guys, many many thanks.
You provided me with some motivation. I appreciate it a lot.
I will definitely chase it up.

Yes, I also have to register my Business yet and contact the HB for the new claim.

I haven't understood the thing with WTC properly.
As far I could understand you have to work at least 30 hours per week.
But what is meant by that.
Let's assume at the beginning of my business I will have only 40 pounds per week. Would it be enough? Do you get WTC only if you have enough income or is it about the amount of working hours that you declare. But how can you prove that you have been working 30 hours per week as a sole trader at the early stage of the trading of the business? Leaflets dropping and so on?

In addition, would the WTC effect your HB?
Oh my God, so many things to sort out.
I need a beer..:rotfl:

Andy2013

This has been covered a few times before on here , but to clarify, "Work" is anything related to running your business so not just the job itself ie window cleaning, it comes down to any thing such as marketing , bookkeeping or what ever will take up your time that is related to your business.

In short to make this a success you will work easily 40 hours a week and if not be prepared to fail !!

Secondly WTC is classed as " Income" so does have to be declared to HB but don't let it put you off, there are plenty of calculation websites to help decide which way is best.

In short you will probably be worse of in the short term, but long term work hard and the world is your oyster.

I left JSA , HB & CTB when I joined NEA because I was sick of being a statistic and being reliant on hand-outs so jumped into self employment independent except NEA payments to make me work as hard as possible , and 12 months on I make a healthy profit monthly ,earning more than I ever did in any previous job , you just have to jump.

At the time it seemed a mad idea but nothing gets your attention better than absolutely having to succeed , or be homeless and penniless.

Not advised for those of a weak disposition or heart issues :A

s450

Andy2013 wrote: »

This has been covered a few times before on here , but to clarify, "Work" is anything related to running your business so not just the job itself ie window cleaning, it comes down to any thing such as marketing , bookkeeping or what ever will take up your time that is related to your business.

In short to make this a success you will work easily 40 hours a week and if not be prepared to fail !!

Secondly WTC is classed as " Income" so does have to be declared to HB but don't let it put you off, there are plenty of calculation websites to help decide which way is best.

In short you will probably be worse of in the short term, but long term work hard and the world is your oyster.

I left JSA , HB & CTB when I joined NEA because I was sick of being a statistic and being reliant on hand-outs so jumped into self employment independent except NEA payments to make me work as hard as possible , and 12 months on I make a healthy profit monthly ,earning more than I ever did in any previous job , you just have to jump.

At the time it seemed a mad idea but nothing gets your attention better than absolutely having to succeed , or be homeless and penniless.

Not advised for those of a weak disposition or heart issues :A

You are right.
Of course, I wish I will be able to live without benefit and that I will earn lots of money.
Now the first thing, I have to chase up the NEA payments.
I was just registering my Business but I stopped because I do not know what to answer to the question:

When did you start working for yourself?

Should I have problem with my NEA and need to makea complaint at the Jobcenter or claiming my JSA back till the things with the NEA are sort out, I will surely not be allowed to trade.
But if I register my business I need to tell when I started working for myself.
Actually I haven't yet.
I mean, I haven't done any trading yet but of course I am advertising, working on my website, etc.

TrueBlue1965

s450, Working Tax credits tops up the wages of those who are earning low wages. It is a benefit similar to Housing Benefit. The more you earn from your business. The less Housing Benefit and Working Tax credits you will get. However, you will always be a little better off as your earnings increase.

Working 30+ hours per week on your business should be easy to show. Cold calls in person to potential customers (travelling time), writing and sending e-mails, making phone calls, posting adds on forums and other websites. Net working and attending workshops (lots of free work shops and Net working though your local Chamber of Commerce). Dont know if you have a website? However, building a website takes time and is work (lots of free website building sites on the web). Free Facebook business page. Same with Linked-in page, Twitter page and Google+ business page. (Lots of video,s on Youtube on how to do all of these for free). These are all things you should/could be doing and is all classed as work! Leaflets dropping is just a small part of marketing your business and takes up a massive amount of time!

Andy2013

s450 you said in a previous post you JSA was to end 27th and NEA begins 28th, so this is the date you started working for yourself.

You are now self employed , get those forms filled in !!

s450

Guys, you are right. I know it!
I just need to concentrate on my business and honestly I am really working hard on it.
I am creating my website myself, link it to other sites, create a blog, deal with SEO , etc, etc.
Bun now I need to be sure that I am on NEA, that I get the allowance.
This is a problem wich need to be solved, of course.
I really hope, I will see the money on my account soon.
I have also opened a secon bank account. I assume HB needs to see the statemens on this second (business) account, doesn't it?

From what you are saying, I assume your business is working well. I am glad for you both :beer:
I hope I can sound the same soon.
I will keep you informed.

treenie01

I don't qualify for anything extra like that because my husband works full time.