Finally I have a mortgage I can start to pay off!

South_coast

Aah, you're finding the new One Poll slow as well then, I thought it was because I wasn't on WiFi 🙁 Have given it up for now, as it was driving me mad! They've also not transferred my balance....

No shame in claiming for the support Vix, that's what it's there for. Your income is down and you have tried other ways of increasing it, so it's not as though you've just sat around waiting for a handout. You'll pay it back in tax soon enough once you're flourishing again 😀

themadvix

One Poll is utterly dire - it's not you! There's time between each question to do a handful of jobs!

Thanks SC. I just wish there was an option to say I'll have less than the full amount. I.e. they calculate how much (which is done on-screen while you're doing it) and then you could claim up to that amount. It is, however, a relief to a) have that back up and b) have made the decision to claim it. And NI contributions will certainly be going up once we're out of this, so better to take advantage while the option is there - the self-employed are usually poorly treated, so it's nice to have some support for a change. (*climbs off political high horse*)

Karmacat

**climbs on political high horse**
Of course you should claim!  If you're eligible, you claim, and if you're not sure, you still claim - mutters about structural financial inequalities that are staggeringly pronounced in the modern UK ...
**climbs off political high horse**

Anyway, how about that OnePoll, huh? 

themadvix

Hmm... you do have to be sure this time around Karma - they’ve changed the criteria and you may have to produce evidence of substantial reduction in demand (in my case, other impacts are possible such as not being able to trade). So doing the maths was important and being able to show that there’s a clear link to the pandemic was necessary too. I wouldn’t want to be in the position that I might have to pay back/be fined in the future because I shouldn’t have claimed.

 Claimed my £1 winnings earlier and offset it against some milk - 75p for four pints of organic milk, bargain!

 Feel I’ve had a productive day today - lots of bitty jobs done. Am currently making some naans to go with one pan fish daal for dinner too. 

Jessy103

Hope all goes smoothly with the claim vix and you should definitely claim anything you can! 🙂

Karmacat

themadvix said:

Hmm... you do have to be sure this time around Karma - they’ve changed the criteria and you may have to produce evidence of substantial reduction in demand (in my case, other impacts are possible such as not being able to trade). So doing the maths was important and being able to show that there’s a clear link to the pandemic was necessary too. I wouldn’t want to be in the position that I might have to pay back/be fined in the future because I shouldn’t have claimed.

**tells high horse to behave itself**

So, the same thing that I've always done with tax records - if I claim something, I have to show I paid it out, and often how it relates to my business?  Fair dos!

greent

Another one that thinks you are right to claim Should a miracle occur and your finances go swiftly way up then you can always make a larger donation to a suitable charity at a future point if you feel that you've benefitted 'too much'? x

shangaijimmy

To chime in on my not so high horse...you do what feels right for you, before you claim, during the drop in work and after things have settled!

Busy_Mee

What they all said. Seriously, you have paid your national insurance if you need to claim this safety net, you should.

Hope 2021 brings you all that you want x

themadvix

Thanks everyone, your reassurance is much appreciated!