How can I get LESS benefits?

Fiver29

Fishcake_Random wrote: »

We find ourselves in a really really difficult place. If we close the shop for a few days and go out to work else where we would then have to put some of our non-shop wages into the shop to cover the difference.
If we close the shop completely we would still need to pay half the monthly rent untill a new buisness took the lease so need to find £470 for that on top of earning enough to pay our own rent etc.
So do we stay as we are, muddling along but using benefits to get by untill times get better? or do we close the shop and go out work and probably be no better or worse off?

I'm starting to feel really stuck in a catch 22


P.S Sixer - everything in our shop is avalible on amazon, play and after a while if it doesn't sell its ebayed. Most of our earnings are through internet sales.

Would it be worth closing the shop, saving on overheads and just running as an online business?

Gothicfairy

One thing I have found is that I have a laptop but no printer so if I want photo's or something like that I am stuck.
It would be good if there was somewhere I could take my laptop to and get the photo's / print out diagrams etc ..I would pay for that and I am sure others would.

Just a thought though so feel free to totally ignore me

narabanekeater

hope you don't mind me asking but why do you get free hours at 2 years 9 months?

brutus1983

how about a console repair service easy to do in the shop plenty of how to vids on the net

lynzpower

Do you do much trade in the mornings? Maybe if the shop was closed in the morning then someone could squeeze in a little something first up ( like cleaning or something) If you did a little more trade in the evenings ( schoolkids and parents) and closed in the morning this might be create a little time for you to work then?

RILEYBULL

Fishcake_Random wrote: »

We are young couple ages 26 and 29, with a DD aged 20 months.
Currently we are self employed and run our own small shop, however with the recession etc we no longer make enough money to take a wage from the buisness, we are just able to cover bills and run it at neutral. Sadly we live in a very poor area for jobs.
We are currently on a waiting list for council housing so currently we have a 2 bedroom flat that is privately rented.

Each month we receive;

Council Tax Benefit- 120
Housing Benefit- 650 - Direct to landlord.
Child tax credit & Working Tax credit- 140
Child Benefit- £80

Total- 990

I realise that child benefit is different from "normal" benefits.
But what can we do to be less of a benefits family? We have talked about how we can become less reliant on benefits, and one of us will hunt for work when DD gets her free nursery hours at 2yrs 9mths.
Obviously we are working hard at our buisness and hoping that it will soon make us a wage. But untill that happens do we have any other options?


p.s please excuse my awful awful spelling.

SIMPLE- If you want less benefits cancel or stop claiming:money:

lynzpower

SIMPLE- If you want less benefits cancel or stop claiming

Get a life you sad case. OP is trying for heavens sake, if you have nothing to offer, why not step away from your keyboard.

morganedge

I didn't even know you could get all them benfits paid when being self employed!?
im now tempted to quit my crappy job and just start a business and claim benefits, lol.
Is it that easy to do??

Fishcake_Random

Thank you (mostly) for your replys.
Some of the ideas are fantastic and we are both really gratefull to everyone who added ideas.
We have set things in motion for an internet cafe courner (try saying that quick!) and already put up a poster advertising the printing idea mentioned above.
We have been looking around for other things to sell alongside our usual stock and are going to try selling some novelty items we can get from our suppliers (angry bird plushie, Plants vs Aliens merchandise) which should really appeal to our customer base. Also we are looking at starting up stickers and trading cards as it would seem no where does it locally since a local newagent went bust about 8 months ago.
We have both been applying for local bar work and cleaner type jobs, one of the local schools is looking for dinner ladies so that maybe a good option for one of us to.

Im starting to feel so much more positive

Fiver 29- the issue with closing the shop that we would still have to pay half its monthly rent until someone else opened in it. Which I can't see being very likely.

Nara - if you google free nursery hours you can find a directgov page all about the free hours all children are intitled to.

RileyBull - Thats a great idea I will just go and live on a park bench for the winter with my husband and young child lol. Food is for the weak

Morgan- Setting up your own buisness is not as daunting as you think. If you are serious have a chat to your local business link, and they can advise you. I do not support your choice to do it just for easy benefits though!!

JimmyTheWig

OP, I've got one word...

Toast

How many of your customers would pay 40p for a doorstop slice of hot buttered toast with marmite or nutella? Quite a few, if they're the customers I'm imagining in your shop.
It would cost you pittance, you'd make money and you'd keep your customers happy.

Obviously you'd need to check your lease, etc, as to whether you're allowed, but I'd say it was a go-er.

Have you tried a survey of your customers as to what they'd want in your shop?