Help!!!! Really worried about customer compliance interview

worried1981

Hi, I had a customer compliance officer visit me at home today, he was very nice not at all intimidating. Anyway, he said they had had an allegation that my partner (whom I claim for) is self employed and runs a business through ebay selling firewood. We have a log burner at home and have bout a few loads which he then chops up for our fire, his mams fire and a friend of ours. We were given oak a few times which doesn't burn in our fire so we did sell it on ebay but only 4 loads have been sold between 2009 to now, at £45 each time. Surely that cant be classed as a business?? selling my own logs that I didn't need?? So so worried about this im making myself ill I claim esa and am in the support group as I have mental health issues. Could anyone help me? I really don't know whats going to happen next!

worried1981

also I didn't make a profit as id already paid out for the logs in the first place.

busy_mom_2

Could you not just show him your ebay activity if you have nothing to hide?

worried1981

He said that they would be looking in to it, I don't use ebay anymore and haven't for a while im not a registered user anymore but you can still find my account. I don't have anything to hide but im just worried that they will class selling those logs as income

mikey_bach

Your partner can actually be classed as self employed and you can still claim for him as long as he isn't working over twenty four hours a week. If he is or was running a little log business then they may look at how much he has earned. But first they would have to know how much the wood cost him, any transport costs, Ebay costs etc, and weigh it all up, it needs to go to a DM for a decision
Then decide how much he actually earns only then it would be taken into account against your ESA claim.
If he continues with it they would need to see his accounts every few months.

He can earn ten pound a week anyway with out it effecting your claim.

Did you fill in a form a B16 if so its about being self employed.

So if what you have said is correct then I would say worry not

worried1981

Like I say, less than £200 over 4 years from selling logs we couldn't use ourselves. It's a normal personal ebay account, I've sold a few other bits and bobs like the kids clothes they've outgrown and 2 mobile phones but I tended to use the account more for buying. I'm really worried that they will stop my money. I haven't filled in any forms as he isn't self employed.

Horseunderwater

To be self employed on Ebay - you need to be buying stuff to hold in stock to sell on for a profit. You are not doing that at all. You are just selling stuff you no longer need or can use - that is not a business at all. And £200 in 4 years - IMO is nothing to worry about and if a compliance officer thinks that is a business then they are real stupid. You're not registered as a business seller and in fact from what you said you sold it at a loss. You must have a nasty minded nosey person who wants to cause you trouble. I hope that it gets sorted out.

FBaby

It's ironic how another poster justified that she was self-employed, despite making only £60 profit a year and therefore considered she should be entitled to WTC, but here, with almost the same profit, it is deemed definitely not self-employment!

It can't be a it is or isn't self-employment if it suits/doesn't suit me.

Personally, I believe that it is ridiculous to consider this sort of ad-hoc selling as self-employment, but then I don't understand why someone would report fraud just on this basis.

worried1981

I have an idea who it was, quite sure it's my partners step brother! Anyway, I just hope they have the sense to see its not selling on a regular basis. Thank you for all your replies.