Is anyone a plumber/heating engineer?

babyemily

I know its a strange question on this board but you willl be glad to know I dont want advice on a leaky tap or faulty boiler!

I am actually after advice re: ACS etc.... In a nutshell...My husband is/was a plumber and heating engineer. For horrible reasons he has not worked for 6 years. He is absolutely desperate to go back to work now that he can and to be honest he needs it. He has been offered work and said that he cant do it until he sets up as a legitimate business. Obvioulsy he needs to comply with being gas safe etc.. He has rang up our local college, where he qualified from many many years ago, only to be told he has to go on a pathway course? This involves him working for someone for a few months for free - He has to find this placement also. Plus he would have to go to college as well. We have spoken to the jobcentre who know hes trying to get back to work by the way, and they have said he will not be paid a penny working for free even if he is learning. Obviously we have a family and cannot live on fresh air and I cant earn anymore then I do. Can anyone advise please? Is this absolutely correct or is there another way? I have someone who is now clawing the walls to work, all he knows is plumbing and heating and I am hoping one of you geniuses on here will know more? Please x

Can you move this if its in the wrong place please - Thank you

Savvy_Sue

babyemily wrote: »

He has been offered work and said that he cant do it until he sets up as a legitimate business. Obvioulsy he needs to comply with being gas safe etc..

Can you clarify please: he's been offered work, but the potential employer says he needs to set up as a legitimate business? In other words he'd be working as a contractor rather than as an employee?

Or your DH says he can't do the work before he's set up as a legitimate business because he'd be a contractor rather than an employee?

Or ... I don't quite know!

Because I'd have thought the best situation was if someone was offering your DH paid work, and would pay him while he trained / re-qualified, and the first half of your sentence suggests that he had been offered paid work, but the rest of it suggests a contracting / self-employed relationship, and it would help to know which.

Thinking laterally, are there any vacancies for surveyors for all the green energy offers you get these days? He knows heating, could he advise on what's needed?

babyemily

Sorry, to clarify -He has been offered work by a contractor on a self employed basis. Its quite a bit of work so he would really like to take it. He has told the contractor that he cannot do it until he sets himself up as self employed but to do the work he needs his ccn1

Savvy_Sue

OK, it makes sense now. Just one question, will this job wait while he gets re-qualified? I'm not saying he shouldn't aim to re-qualify, but it could be a different timescale / problem you're looking at if they WILL wait, rather than if they WON'T iyswim.

Next step, go to entitled to, and plug in your income only, see what you would be entitled to by way of tax credits etc.

Was he self-employed before? If not, would his previous employer consider taking him back?