New Enterprise Allowance scheme - My story

D4VE

I've now had my Business Plan meeting and they didn't forget about it this time )

They approved it (eventually), so now I can apply for the loan - This is the final part, and I'm still not confident of being successful. I've been told I should hear within 2 weeks.

I had already gone through my BP a number of times, and thought of any questions they may ask, so was prepared.

They queried the turnover figure, saying it was too high, so I explained how it would be achieved, and also it needed to reach that amount for me to be able to take an income I could live on. My figures were based upon actuals from a similar business, but reduced significantly to err on the side of caution.

They asked why there was a large gap between my Personal Survival Budget and my Drawings. I told them I'd only be drawing the shortfall between my NEA and JSA payments (so I'd still be able to live), until such time as the company was making enough to pay me a proper salary.

Andy2013

s450 why did you not clarify everything with the JC advisor when you had him on the phone, they should be able to answer everything you need to know and until you have clarity then you don't let them go.

I don't mean to be harsh but is self employment really for you , running a business is all about logic, determination, hard work , persistence and a desire to win, some people are natural leaders and they succeed.

I fear you may need guiding all the way and to get something as basic as JSA payments in a muddle and then to not take the bull by the horns and take control is a concern, personally I would have had it sorted in 24 hours and then move onto the next thing.

This forum is great for asking questions don't get me wrong but only YOU can ultimately get your situation sorted , things will only get harder trust me and if you think this is stressful then your in for a shock because your business will take everything from you and without sounding all Rambo, only the strongest will win.

Some people are made to drive others are there to be driven.

Don't be offended , take it on-board and fight for your own future, trust me it feels great. !!

s450

I have always fought my corner and known how to deal with the stupidity and incompetence of authorities :-) It is almost an hobby of mine to deal with complaint and to win [when I know that I am right] :-)

Seriously though, of course I know how to sort out such thinsgs. Last week I called three times at the JC. I rang also the 0845....hotline of the JC in Glasgow.
I was about to got to my local JC to ask to talk with the Customer Service Manager but then I got a call of that lady who told me :" I sort it out. It came not through but now I sorted it out, you are going to get 198 [I am not sure if she said 198 or 195 but I heard something 19..] on Friday plus then 10 next payments weekly." So there was no need to worry any longer. That is why I did not go to the JC and waited for the money.
The money arrived. I explained above what the payments on my accounts since the 29th look like.
They are just not logical. I do not need to repeat everything from the top now.

The point is, so far if you consider that I was signed off on the 27th
I got 66 on 29th 61.46 later and then last fridasy 198 + 66
It is more than what I should have had to get.

ERgo, my thought is: "maybe she made a mistake. Maybe I got more, maybe my payments will be of 66 instead of 65 and I do not care whether in the satements it reads JSA or NEA. " So why should I now awake the sleeping dog?

So, I should wait a bit to see if I get a next payment. If not, OF COURSE I WILL NOT GIVE UP!

The reason why I wrote my story here is not because I am desperated and do not know what to do next BUT to just tell my story. This forum is great to ask question but we all should also try to be helpful to other people. My story could help somebody else, indeed

AND, by the way the reason why I posted my story here is to ask if somebody else has ever experienced such similar a chaos or if maybe somebody is even able to see a logical explanation into this chaos.

@Trueblue1965 even thinks all these payments are JSA payments. Sorry but also this does not sound logically because:

21th January way my last sign-in (I got the mony as usual)
27 I was signed off (the paymetn of 61.46 pounds should be the last JSA payments It is even stated in a letter that I got from JC from Glasgow. Therefore locically, The 61.46 should cover the the period 21-27 January)

Now, f rom 27th January to last yesterday ,14.02 I got:
66+66+198
That cannot be neither JSA nor NEA


Not to mention the fact that I assume NEA payments should be clearly stated as NEA and not as JSA, but on my account it reads JSA
THAT IS WHY I asked you to tell me what i reads on your bank statements?

NEA 65pounds? and how often do you get the payment?

Andy2013

I appreciate you are only telling your story , that's what we are all doing but this line of questioning has gone on for quite a while and by now most would have had closure.

The job centre can answer why these payments are going in but we cant, its random and we would all be guessing.

Mistakes are common so chase it up.

For the record my payments of NEA came weekly and the reference on my statement said " DWP CSHR " along with numbers.

13 weeks of £65 and 13 weeks of £33

Also yes , a lot have had issues with NEA , my experience was terrible and only my self determination made my business a success as NEA gave me nothing except the weekly finance.

something12

So i came to the end of my NEA experience 2 weeks ago all in all it felt like a waste of time as when the money ended so did any income i had so ive had to make a new claim for JSA (atleast its a payrise).

£65 for 13 weeks no problem then dropped down to £33 after my job centre advisor told me i would have income from my business by that time so not worry (which didnt happen of course).

Anyone coming to the end of their NEA payments I would recommend to save the last 4-5 weeks atleast of payments as its likley that is all you will have to survive on while you make a new JSA claim which will take around 3 weeks to get a payment, so yeah good luck!

Andy2013

£65 for 13 weeks no problem then dropped down to £33 after my job centre advisor told me i would have income from my business by that time so not worry (which didnt happen of course).

6 months is plenty of time for a new business to start making a profit if the business model is in place and things are done well , you sound not at all surprised your back on JSA, possibly a reason it didn't work in the first place.

Anyone coming to the end of their NEA payments I would recommend to save the last 4-5 weeks atleast of payments as its likley that is all you will have to survive on while you make a new JSA claim which will take around 3 weeks to get a payment, so yeah good luck!

Alternatively you can fight like hell to make it work to avoid going back into the demoralising world of JSA , just a thought !!

something12

Andy2013 wrote: »

6 months is plenty of time for a new business to start making a profit if the business model is in place and things are done well , you sound not at all surprised your back on JSA, possibly a reason it didn't work in the first place.



Alternatively you can fight like hell to make it work to avoid going back into the demoralising world of JSA , just a thought !!

Nice words but not the reality of my current situation, my comment was to warn others coming to the end of their NEA scheme that if their only income was the NEA payments then they should save the last few weeks of payments.

Basicly doing the job centres job for them here.

Andy2013

Certainly good to warn others but a shame yours did not work out.

To throw another hat in the ring , a lot of Job Centres ( Oxfordshire area for one ) have a policy where by if you had completed 18 months on JSA and NEA was offered as opposed to work programme , if NEA fails then you automatically get put on work programme and can not claim JSA for a set period of time after leaving NEA , this way avoiding people switching from one to another forever more.

pinkypoopydoo

s450 wrote: »

Because I am still not sure what is happening with my NEA I haven't done anythong with HB and working tax credit yet.
But I have already booked an appointment at my local council to discuss my HB claim

I sorted my working tax credits and council tax help on the day I signed off from JSA. There's no reason to wait - both those benefits (and housing benefit) are benefits that can be adjusted with a phone call as circumstances change. I've never found the staff manning the phone lines for tax credits to be anything but helpful (even when they accused me of diddling the system because they thought I was still with my ex).

It makes sense to ensure you have all lifelines covered, to enable you to concentrate on running your business, rather than stressing about where the money is going to come to cover your basic bills for the initial couple fo months. All being well, after the first 2-3 months, you should be running at a profit (if not sooner)

biggeorge007

Hi all just in the final stages of my NEA experience and final few worries that have not been answered.

Currently claiming JSA joint claim with the wife, I asked today at JCP about her part of the claim and was told that she will have to make a single JSA Claim when I sign onto the NEA.
We have a 3 year old son who only attends school in the morning at the moment and as JSA is for those looking and able to work surely this is incorrect. The JCP adviser was adamant that was the case

Without my wife's part of the JSA we stand to loose £90 a fortnight which would be fine if the business starts to make money immediately.

Is there anyone who was on a joint JSA claim also gone onto the NEA offer their experience, Did they have to make a separate claim.

George