Returning to Work Problem

Cute_'n'_Quirky

I have been off sick on Incapacity Benefit for 8 months now and have retrained for a new profession - when I go to work I will be self-employed.

I am in a Pathways to Work area and Shaw Trust told me I would qualify for the Return to Work payment of £40 per week for 52 weeks.

The Job Centre inform me that I will not be able to claim the £40 per week return to work payment because I am not allowed to be self-employed!!! Nowhere does it say this in any of the information. I have to work for more than 16 hours per week and earn less than £15K in the first year. It says nothing about not being self-employed!

My mrs. woman at the Job Centre Plus is very negative and unhelpful and she has tried to make my outlook as bleak as possible since day 1.

I have an appointment to see the disability specialist at our JC Plus on Monday, to see if he can shed more light on this.

This new profession I have taken up has to be self-employed, there are so few jobs 'employed' in that profession.
I could really do with the extra £40 per week, what with coping with a new employment and my medical condition and all the problems I have to contend with that way. I couldn't work Mon-Fri 9-5 because of my condition, I need to be able to work around it.

It seems most unfair that I am to be penalised because of it.

Can anyone shed any more light on this self-employed issue please?

TheWaltons_3

Cute_n_Quirky wrote: »

I

This new profession I have taken up has to be self-employed, there are so few jobs 'employed' in that profession.
I could really do with the extra £40 per week, what with coping with a new employment and my medical condition and all the problems I have to contend with that way. I couldn't work Mon-Fri 9-5 because of my condition, I need to be able to work around it.

It seems most unfair that I am to be penalised because of it.

Can anyone shed any more light on this self-employed issue please?

But you're your own boss if you're self-employed aren't you?

Won't you be choosing your own hours?

Cute_'n'_Quirky

Yes I know that, that is not the problem.

It is the fact that I could really do with the £40 per week for going back to work!!!

JC say that I cannot have the Pathway to Work monies being self-employed

everythingblogcast

Go to the social security agency and ask them they will know the ins and outs and the rules to this better then the jobcentre

dmg24

Social Security Agency = Jobcentre!

Cute_'n'_Quirky

So, no further forward!

kenshaz

Just accept the fact that you are not entitled to the £40.The chose of profession was yours ,if you want the £40 take a job that enables you to be employed.The rules are the rules ,continually chasing and demanding will not assist.

There are numerous vacancies for mortgage advisers with cemap,so being employed and not self employed does not appear to be a problem.
The OP was cemap qualified this year and is therefore able to seek employment as a mortgage adviser.
In your previous posts you stated that you had employment at a financial institution.

everythingblogcast

dmg24 wrote: »

Social Security Agency = Jobcentre!

They may be linked but they are not the same. The SSA is so people get get benefits the Joe centre is for anyone to look for jobs.

healy

I have never heard of the SSA, it used to be the DSS and now it is the DWP.There was the Benefits Agency (BA) and Job Centre (JC) but now everything is called Jobcentre Plus.

Cute_'n'_Quirky

kenshaz wrote: »

Just accept the fact that you are not entitled to the £40.The chose of profession was yours ,if you want the £40 take a job that enables you to be employed.The rules are the rules ,continually chasing and demanding will not assist.

There are numerous vacancies for mortgage advisers with cemap,so being employed and not self employed does not appear to be a problem.
The OP was cemap qualified this year and is therefore able to seek employment as a mortgage adviser.
In your previous posts you stated that you had employment at a financial institution.

Mind your own business Kenshaz.

Stop following me around like a sad puppy.

dmg24

everythingblogcast wrote: »

They may be linked but they are not the same. The SSA is so people get get benefits the Joe centre is for anyone to look for jobs.

Social Security Offices used to exist, but they all changed ... to Jobcentres!