Housing Benefits and Self Employment

liamb2001

I could really do with some advice, me and my partner have really been struggling financially after her hours have been cut and my freelance web design from home has also been struggling. I hate to rely on benefits usually but were getting so desperate we were looking to move back in with my mother, we have recently been told we would be entitled to housing benefits...in all honesty i find the forms quite confusing and speaking to them hasn't been much help because claiming while being self employed complicates it even more so would really appreciate some advice from someone in the same boat.

I have downloaded the self employed form for myself and it states asking for invoices and proof of earnings, in my case i earn what i earn so ive fished out april 2011 to april 2012 tax accounts with invoices etc but it also mentions about sending business bank statments, i dont use a business account i get customers to pay directly into my account does anyone in the same boat know if i have to send in my bank accounts or if my self created accounts will do by themself as we wanted to claim as soon as possible, i believe bank statments can take time to come through and cost money and those are two things we dont have at the moment

would really appreciate an answer from someone who knows this area, thanks in advance.

paddedjohn

I don't think you can claim housing benefit if you are moving in with your parents.

Horseunderwater

liamb2001 wrote: »

I could really do with some advice, me and my partner have really been struggling financially after her hours have been cut and my freelance web design from home has also been struggling. I hate to rely on benefits usually but were getting so desperate we were looking to move back in with my mother, we have recently been told we would be entitled to housing benefits...in all honesty i find the forms quite confusing and speaking to them hasn't been much help because claiming while being self employed complicates it even more so would really appreciate some advice from someone in the same boat.

I have downloaded the self employed form for myself and it states asking for invoices and proof of earnings, in my case i earn what i earn so ive fished out april 2011 to april 2012 tax accounts with invoices etc but it also mentions about sending business bank statments, i dont use a business account i get customers to pay directly into my account does anyone in the same boat know if i have to send in my bank accounts or if my self created accounts will do by themself as we wanted to claim as soon as possible, i believe bank statments can take time to come through and cost money and those are two things we dont have at the moment

would really appreciate an answer from someone who knows this area, thanks in advance.

So does your bank not send them out to you on a monthly basis then? I can print mine on line as well - only costs me the paper/ink to do so. I opted out of getting paper ones years back. And strictly speaking you should keep business income separate from personal income as it far easier to then track that if it's separate. Does not necessarily mean you have to open a business account, just that you keep it separate. Making it obvious that you pay yourself a certain amount out of the profits as this is your income proof.

liamb2001

hi i want to claim housing benefits so i DONT have to move in with my mother.
No I am with Barclays Bank and opted for paperless years ago and have to pay for paper statments, Barclays online banking goes back around a 6 weeks and thats all.

I know i should make my accounts seperate but something ive not done, i plan on doing that as of April though

liamb2001

would appreciate any advice from anyone else in the same boat at all ?

princessdon

How can you run a business and have auditable accounts if you have no bank accounts?

I don't see anyway around it if honest as they need to see your income is as per your accounts and also that you haven't deprived yourself of money to claim benefits.

dktreesea

Just take along your bank statements, printed out from the computer, and make sure, if they copy them for their recors, that they black out the account details.

If you have done last year's accounts, and there has been no change in circumstances, that's what they should be using to assess your claim.

Acc72

princessdon wrote: »

How can you run a business and have auditable accounts if you have no bank accounts?

The accounts will not be "Audited".

Even if the accounts / tax returns etc. are completed by an Accountant, the Accountant will not do an Audit.

Although not best practice, there is nothing "illegal" about sharing a bank account.

missbunbury

Horseunderwater wrote: »

...Making it obvious that you pay yourself a certain amount out of the profits as this is your income proof.

I'd have said the whole of the profit would be classed as income regardless of what you "pay yourself". Unless you are running a ltd company or something.

liamb2001

Basically when i started out it was the odd job here and it just became the normal to pay directly into my personal account, i am going to set it all up properly as of April this year though as it just complicates everything too much.

I found out that Barclays now offer a new service where there accounts go back further 3 sets of 4 previous months to be exact and they have requested the last 6 months accounts so have included those, thanks for your advice to everyone though i appreciate it