Advice for man who has worked on the black for 20 years

sarahemmm

seven-day-weekend wrote: »

If he is working more than 16 hours a week he can't claim JSA. If he is working less than this he can, although he will have to declare anything he earns and it will be taken off his JSA. He may also be able to claim LHA to pay the rent for his room.

He could tell them that he has been supported privately previously. Not exactly a lie!

But of course by far the best course of action is to stop working under the radar and pay his tax and NI like other people do.

Absolutely! I think the problem is coming down to whether he will feel that he can declare his work. I also foresee that the job-seeking effort required nowadays will put him off claiming. I have a nasty feeling that either I now have a dependent, or there is a park bench in his future...

Morglin

sarahemmm wrote: »

Thanks, Lin - that's what I thought. But he is working - sort of. And he will be worried about any comeback on his boss.

Do you / does anyone know what sort of comeback there may be for the years of undeclared income?

Well, the tax office might be a bit stroppy with him, and as he had made no NI contributions, he'll lose out on any contributory benefits, and have to rely on means tested and/or universal benefits.

His best bet, in my view, would be to get some qualified advice from the CAB, as to his best way forward to try and minimise any fall out.

They will be able to look at the whole thing for him and advise.

His boss can just say he took him on a self employed worker, I expect.

But, proper advice is really needed.

Lin

sarahemmm

Morglin wrote: »

His best bet, in my view, would be to get some qualified advice from the CAB, as to his best way forward to try and minimise any fall out.

They will be able to look at the whole thing for him and advise.

His boss can just say he took him on a self employed worker, I expect.

But, proper advice is really needed.

Thanks, Lin - that's pretty much what I thought. Now to get him there...

RAS

Can I suggest that as long as he thinks you are goign to rescue him, he has no incentive to sort this out.

You need to tell him that he has a set period of time to shape up or find alternative accomodation. As it is your rescue remedy is going to make it hard for him to claim any housing support and could affect his being able to get JSA.

If the PTB think that you are living together as a couple, then he gets nought and you are expected to support him indefinately. Things they consider are shopping, cooking, eating and living together and shared finances (not just shared bank accounts and beds). Does he pay you his share of the Council Tax? Can you evidence rental payments?

By being nice you are shooting yourself in the foot permanently.

BigAunty

sarahemmm wrote: »

Yikes! Not sure what to do about this one :eek:

Send a PM to the poster called 'Housing Benefit Officer' or hopefully they will catch up with your post. On the one hand, he's clearly supposed to pay rent, on the other, your lodger gets 'let off' with paying rent and I just wonder if this compromises a future application. I don't know if its a big issue or not, you need to check.

See the local council website for their published rates on Local Housing Allowance (how HB is calculated in the private sector). They will state the maximum LHA for shared accommodation, such as a room with a live in landlord or flat-share. This is what you could be receiving in rent,if he was a bit more cooperative. Employment income will reduce his LHA but he could still be entitled to a decent sum if his income is low. Perhaps you could show him that webpage and say 'it would really help me out with affording bills if you could ask for what you are entitled to'?

Is he self employed, such as a window cleaner or gardener, for example or does he have an employer on the fiddle who won't put him on thei books?

The self employed can receive Housing Benefit and your local council website will indicate the type of income/expenses and general accounts info he needs to submit with his claim. There isn't even a requirement to claim JSA or similar as an entry criteria - some people get sick of the conditionality that goes with JSA, sign off and still claim HB.

Also, the self employed (those single and who spend 30 hours a week or more on their businesses) or those in low paid employment of 30 hours plus can receive working tax credits.

Go to the Turn2us online benefit checker to check his entitlements - you can model the employed, unemployed and self employed scenarios to show him what help he could get if he gets the courage to stop sticking his head in the sand.

sarahemmm

BigAunty wrote: »

On the one hand, he's clearly supposed to pay rent, on the other, your lodger gets 'let off' with paying rent and I just wonder if this compromises a future application. I don't know if its a big issue or not, you need to check.

I think we can come up with a scenario that gets round that as a problem. (Fortunately he has a passport.)

BigAunty wrote: »

See the local council website for their published rates on Local Housing Allowance (how HB is calculated in the private sector).

Comfortably inside that, fortunately.

BigAunty wrote: »

Is he self employed, such as a window cleaner or gardener, for example or does he have an employer on the fiddle who won't put him on thei books?

I'm not quite sure which way round this is supposed to be; will try to find out.

The self employed can receive Housing Benefit and your local council website will indicate the type of income/expenses and general accounts info he needs to submit with his claim. There isn't even a requirement to claim JSA or similar as an entry criteria - some people get sick of the conditionality that goes with JSA, sign off and still claim HB.

Also, the self employed (those single and who spend 30 hours a week or more on their businesses) or those in low paid employment of 30 hours plus can receive working tax credits.

It will be hard to say that he works more than 30 hours; if he did, he would be a lot more okay financially (at least in the sort term). Right now, he's lucky to get 12-14.

Go to the Turn2us online benefit checker to check his entitlements - you can model the employed, unemployed and self employed scenarios to show him what help he could get if he gets the courage to stop sticking his head in the sand.

Brilliant - thanks for that! Didn't know it existed.



I'm going to try to put together what I have learned here and talk to him about it all. Right now, he is telling our neighbour that he thinks I'm fed up with him, which absolutely isn't true.

Thanks to all for the advice and suggestions!

RAS

sarahemmm wrote: »

Right now, he is telling our neighbour that he thinks I'm fed up with him, which absolutely isn't true.

He probably needs to think you are a bit fed up with his failure to sort out his finances, otherwise he has no incentive to sort this out.