Currently on JSA want to move onto Working Tax Credits......

M.Johnson_2

BigAunty wrote: »

There are probably tens of thousands of 'businesses' where the claimant has been heavily dependent on benefits from the day they founded it years ago to the present day.

Yes and this has propped up the economy, by stoping all help these tens of thousands of business will also stop. Its not going to be pretty for the UK economy thats all.

BigAunty

M.Johnson wrote: »

Yes and this has propped up the economy, by stoping all help these tens of thousands of business will also stop. Its not going to be pretty for the UK economy thats all.

I can't see how a low profit business has propped up the economy - firstly, there will be next to no tax to pay in because there's virtually no profit, secondly, thousands of low paid self employed claimants may have legitimately claimed benefits of thousands of pounds every year since the inception of WTC. No, not much paying in and plenty of taking out - net takers.

The type of claimants receiving WTC that we see on this board tend to have no employees, or perhaps just a relative such as a partner involved. We see people popping up with either actual or proposed 'business' ideas such as flogging craft goodies they make at boot fayres, flogging tat on ebay, writing e-novels, providing pets to childrens parties as entertainment, painting murals on childrens bedroom walls. These aren't going to be the next Richard Branson....

Some of the self employment opportunities that we see have been encouraged by employers who don't want to pay tax, pensions, sickness and holiday pay to employees and so a culture of 'freelancing' like hairdressers, cleaners, nail technicians, etc has been spawned.

I would love to see some statistics around how many self employed claimants receiving WTC have later been able to come off benefits in full and what percentage of the self employed claim benefits, a trend line for this.

M.Johnson_2

What I mean is this has made the unemployment numbers look better than they actually are.

drc

MissMoneypenny wrote: »

Which is why that scam is being shut down under the welfare reforms, when claimants go onto the new 1 benefit payment, Universal Credit (replaces 5 income based benefits: JSA; Working Tax Credit; ESA; Child Tax Credit; Housing).

Not going to happen. Universal Credit is a disaster and has already been put back until 2017. I imagine this scam will be able to go on a lot longer yet.

M.Johnson_2

drc wrote: »

Not going to happen. Universal Credit is a disaster and has already been put back until 2017. I imagine this scam will be able to go on a lot longer yet.

It was always 2017 for a full roll out. But many are on it already.

Many including myself are very worried how things will be when we are put on it, may have to move to a cheaper area.

M.Johnson_2

I am worried about when universal credit comes in I will not be able to afford to live.

I have a part time job 16hrs min wage and am trying to start a self emloyed business as well, so I work min 30hrs week total.

At the moment my business is making no profit, so we get LHA,CTB, CTC, and almost full WTC, plus CB.

We are just under the £500wk benefit cap because we have a largish family few kids and another on the way.

I understand it when UC comes in I will have to make my self employment earn profit the same as 35hrs x NMW per week:eek:

It is just not possible the way the economy is right now. I may get there if I persist through the downturn but who knows how long before we are out of this recession?

So if I am forced to close my S.E business I only have my 16hrs part time NMW job and they will not give me more hours, its doubtful if I will even keep that they are laying people ff all the time.

But am I trying to find out if my situation does not change I keep my part time job and part time S.E but no profit yet, will I still get my £500 wk or how much will I get?

FBaby

Sounds like you better start looking for a full-time job PAYE job then. It's ok, you'll only be one of many thousands of people who would love to go self-employed if they could afford to do so.

M.Johnson_2

FBaby wrote: »

Sounds like you better start looking for a full-time job PAYE job then. It's ok, you'll only be one of many thousands of people who would love to go self-employed if they could afford to do so.

Its very hard to find a full time job. I thought you were going to say youll only be one of many thousands of people who would love to have a full time job.

FBaby

No it isn't, many people get new full time jobs every day but you have to want it of course.

drc

M.Johnson wrote: »

I am worried about when universal credit comes in I will not be able to afford to live.

I have a part time job 16hrs min wage and am trying to start a self emloyed business as well, so I work min 30hrs week total.

At the moment my business is making no profit, so we get LHA,CTB, CTC, and almost full WTC, plus CB.

We are just under the £500wk benefit cap because we have a largish family few kids and another on the way.

I understand it when UC comes in I will have to make my self employment earn profit the same as 35hrs x NMW per week:eek:

It is just not possible the way the economy is right now. I may get there if I persist through the downturn but who knows how long before we are out of this recession?

So if I am forced to close my S.E business I only have my 16hrs part time NMW job and they will not give me more hours, its doubtful if I will even keep that they are laying people ff all the time.

But am I trying to find out if my situation does not change I keep my part time job and part time S.E but no profit yet, will I still get my £500 wk or how much will I get?

But you must be doing ok financially if you can afford to have another child?