Self employed and struggling to get by

Rc2008

I'm newly self employed and poured every bit of savings and money I had into starting a new career, this was only at the end of January. I was told to claim universal credit when the coronavirus hit and I could no longer go to work, I did and Im going to be receiving around 350 a month which I am very grateful for, the problem is it doesn't cover my bills and misses it by around £200 not including food costs. To date since this has started I have borrowed £650 from other people to pay the bills and eat etc. . I can't apply for the newly self employed grant in Scotland because I qualify for universal credit and I already have an outstanding loan of 6k to pay over the next 3 years so that seems to count a loan out.
I know its a long shot but does anyone have any advice at all on what I could do to ease my situation? My timing on starting a new career and using all of my savings to follow my ambitions seem to have beaten me here but any advice or ideas would be massively appreciated, thanks. 

calcotti

I infer you are single, under 25 and have no rent to pay. Unfortunately Universal Credit is the extent of the help available to you from government. 
The only other thing you can apply for, if you pay Council Tax, is Council Tax Reduction which is claimed from your local authority.

Fire_Fox

Cut back on your outgoings so that they match your income. Debt repayments, for example, can be 'token' and interest frozen if they are genuinely unaffordable.

Head over to the MSE 'Debt Free Wannabe' board, complete a 'Statement of Affairs' (complete budget planner, see the stickies) and post it up as a new thread The regulars will advise you where to cut back and how to contact your creditors.

becky3343

Are you sure you'll only be getting 350? I was told on the phone during my Universal credit phone appointment that the max my partner and I would get is £595 but then when I got the breakdown on May 1st, I was eligible for housing benefit too so the total was £1100. It might be worth double checking by putting a journal entry to your adviser in the UC online system.

Have you considered other ways to make some extra cash? Even small things like clearing out the house and selling things on ebay could help. Or if you're not at risk, signing up to deliver meals etc or taking on a fruit/veg picking job which are being recommended for furloughed workers.

Grumpy_chap

Fire_Fox said:

Head over to the MSE 'Debt Free Wannabe' board, complete a 'Statement of Affairs' (complete budget planner, see the stickies) and post it up as a new thread The regulars will advise you where to cut back and how to contact your creditors.

THIS ^^^^^
AND THIS 

Have you considered other ways to make some extra cash? Even small things like clearing out the house and selling things on ebay could help. Or if you're not at risk, signing up to deliver meals etc or taking on a fruit/veg picking job which are being recommended for furloughed workers.

Also, bounce back loan may be available option, but that does mean you would be increasing your debt at a time when thta might be the last thing you want.

poppy12345

becky3343 said:

Are you sure you'll only be getting 350? I was told on the phone during my Universal credit phone appointment that the max my partner and I would get is £595 but then when I got the breakdown on May 1st, I was eligible for housing benefit too so the total was £1100. It might be worth double checking by putting a journal entry to your adviser in the UC online system.

How much you're entitled to will depend on the individual circumstances. As you're living with a partner and you're renting your home then of course you're maximum entitlement will be more than the OP. If the OP is single and under the age of 25 and not renting their own home, their maximum entitlement will be £342.72 per month. https://www.gov.uk/universal-credit/what-youll-get

ProDave

One thing I never hear the self employed talking about, is going and getting a PAYE job.  The local supermarket here is still recruiting as they are busier than ever, so if I got desperate I would go and apply for a job there, even if I intended to go back to self employed work when conditions allowed.

ThunderHoof

You need to contact the company you have a loan with and ask for a freeze on payments for a start.

Splatfoot

ProDave said:

One thing I never hear the self employed talking about, is going and getting a PAYE job.  The local supermarket here is still recruiting as they are busier than ever, so if I got desperate I would go and apply for a job there, even if I intended to go back to self employed work when conditions allowed.

I've heard it lots. Also, the jobs aren't that easy to get!. I've applied for 3 or 4 and only finished working for Tesco last September after 5 years so would know what I was doing. I pass all the assessments online and then don't hear a thing. 

[Deleted User]

Just a random question regarding supermarkets. I'm self employed and not yet at the stage where I need to look for a 2nd job just yet but I have previously worked for 2 large supermarkets, the last one being 5 years ago. Just to get that position was not a basic interview, there was a first interview, then a group induction and assessment for those that past the 1st interview whereby you were studied on your ability to work within a team and had to act out role playing etc. Does this mean now all supermarkets are taking on staff just based on a phone interview considering nothing else can be done face to face? 

suki1964

Daveym79 said:

Just a random question regarding supermarkets. I'm self employed and not yet at the stage where I need to look for a 2nd job just yet but I have previously worked for 2 large supermarkets, the last one being 5 years ago. Just to get that position was not a basic interview, there was a first interview, then a group induction and assessment for those that past the 1st interview whereby you were studied on your ability to work within a team and had to act out role playing etc. Does this mean now all supermarkets are taking on staff just based on a phone interview considering nothing else can be done face to face? 

That may well be the case

I was in my Tesco last week, new member of staff on the checkout, she told me she had lost her job through the crisis, heard that Tesco was looking staff, rang up, had a telephone interview and started two days later