Universal Credit/Cat Breeder

Belle08

I'm just wondering if anyone can advise me on claiming Universal Credit as a Self employed Cat breeder. I usually have 2 to 4 litters a year, I'm registered with HMRC and last year I earn't approx £1600. I'm not sure how to fill out the claim form as I obviously don't earn a monthly salary. Has anyone been in a similar situation and can give some advise please.

kimwp

I know it's not the question, but please stop breeding cats, there are so many needing homes in all the animal shelters.

Alice_Holt

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/universal-credit/on-universal-credit/how-universal-credit-payments-work-if-youre-self-employed/

https://www.understandinguniversalcredit.gov.uk/new-to-universal-credit/self-employment/

https://www.gov.uk/self-employment-and-universal-credit

https://www.turn2us.org.uk/Benefit-guides/Universal-Credit-income-and-capital/Self-employed-earnings

https://www.moneyhelper.org.uk/en/benefits/benefits-and-work/universal-credit-for-the-self-employed

If you are only earning £150 a month, then you may be expected to find better remunerated paid employment, and expected to work search accordingly.

After 12 months you will certainly be subject to the Minimum Income Floor, if you remain self employed as a cat breeder.  

https://www.turn2us.org.uk/Jargon-buster/Minimum-Income-Floor

https://revenuebenefits.org.uk/universal-credit/guidance/entitlement-to-uc/self-employment/minimum-income-floor/

Edited

calcotti

Alice_Holt said:

If you are only earning £150 a month, then you will be expected to find better remunerated paid employment, and expected to work search accordingly.
After 12 months you will be subject to the Minimum Income Floor. 

Surely it's one or the other. Either
they are not treated as gainfully self employed and are therefore required to work search, or
they are treated as gainfully self employed in which case there is no work search requirement but the MIF will be applied after 12 months.

NedS

calcotti said:

Alice_Holt said:

If you are only earning £150 a month, then you will be expected to find better remunerated paid employment, and expected to work search accordingly.
After 12 months you will be subject to the Minimum Income Floor. 

Surely it's one or the other. Either
they are not treated as gainfully self employed and are therefore required to work search, or
they are treated as gainfully self employed in which case there is no work search requirement but the MIF will be applied after 12 months.

Yes, largely the claimant will need to decide if they want to try to develop the business into something that is able to support them within one year (to offset the MIF being applied) or they will need to look for work and get paid employment. UC will not continue to support OP to be a cat breeder earning 1600 per year (after costs?).

When you make your claim, you should declare that you are currently working on a self employed basis, and the jobcentre will then book you an appointment to discuss your self employment and go through your options with you.

Question for the OP - how are you supporting yourself at present?

sheramber

UC is means tested. if you have a  partner their income will be part of the claim.

You can check what you might be entitled to on here  https://www.entitledto.co.uk/

poppy12345

NedS said:

calcotti said:

Alice_Holt said:

If you are only earning £150 a month, then you will be expected to find better remunerated paid employment, and expected to work search accordingly.
After 12 months you will be subject to the Minimum Income Floor. 

Surely it's one or the other. Either
they are not treated as gainfully self employed and are therefore required to work search, or
they are treated as gainfully self employed in which case there is no work search requirement but the MIF will be applied after 12 months.

Question for the OP - how are you supporting yourself at present?

OP thanked Neds but didn't answer this question.

seatbeltnoob

I dont think a claims handler would regard £1600 a year as gainful self employment so I doubt they will even be eleigible to be self employed. they would be put on JSA.

Spoonie_Turtle

seatbeltnoob said:

I dont think a claims handler would regard £1600 a year as gainful self employment so I doubt they will even be eleigible to be self employed. they would be put on JSA.

JSA is a separate benefit from UC so they won't be 'put on' it.  If they were not found to be gainfully self-employed then they would be classed as a jobseeker on UC, most likely put in the All Work Requirements group unless their circumstances dictated otherwise (e.g. caring responsibilities, for a disabled person or young child/ren).

seatbeltnoob

i meant the equivalent in UC where they put you onto job search and give you some money to meet your needs.

I know it's right to be accurate with these things. but a lot of the stuff is just a rebrand. e.g. you say there's no JSA in UC, but then you said they would be a jobseeker in UC. What does JSA stand for job seekers allowance. it's just a rebrand.

Spoonie_Turtle

seatbeltnoob said:

i meant the equivalent in UC where they put you onto job search and give you some money to meet your needs.

I know it's right to be accurate with these things. but a lot of the stuff is just a rebrand. e.g. you say there's no JSA in UC, but then you said they would be a jobseeker in UC. What does JSA stand for job seekers allowance. it's just a rebrand.

It isn't, because the old income-based JSA had different rules, especially about earnings.  UC replaced and was supposed to improve several income-related benefits, including allowing far more flexible financial support for people in work - there is no earnings or hours cliff-edge like there was on legacy JSA. 

There is also still new-style JSA which is not means-tested and has all the same rules (apart from the means-testing) of legacy JSA which is why it's important to keep the distinction, it's not simply a point of pedantry (otherwise I would probably have let it go ).