How can i prove they are mine.

Miggilad68

Hi,

I'm currently in receipt of disability benefit and I have to migrate over to universal credit meaning I will have to spend five weeks or more without any benefit.I wanted to sell some of my personal possessions to help me through that period.I'm worried that the HMRC might see what I'm doing as a side hustle and either fine me or notify the DWP who will stop my benefits. How can I prevent this. TIA.

RunsFromRobots

If you are migrating from ESA to Universal Credit your ESA will continue for two weeks.

You should also be offered an advance to see you through to your first payment, but you will have to pay this back.

Spoonie_Turtle

Miggilad68 said:

Hi,

I'm currently in receipt of disability benefit and I have to migrate over to universal credit meaning I will have to spend five weeks or more without any benefit.I wanted to sell some of my personal possessions to help me through that period.I'm worried that the HMRC might see what I'm doing as a side hustle and either fine me or notify the DWP who will stop my benefits. How can I prevent this. TIA.

Two things to hopefully help reassure you:
1. If you're migrating from IS and/or ESA and/or Housing Benefit you will get a two-week run-on of those, so just a three-week wait for your full UC payment.

2. Unless you hit any of the reporting thresholds (£1,700 gross receipts/30 items) HMRC won't even be aware of your selling activity*, and they don't really communicate with DWP except for sending through wages information.

I suppose if you still want to try to cover yourself, just photograph the objects in their 'native habitat' for a record, wherever they are in your home / in use by you.  But realistically even if you do hit a reporting threshold, HMRC aren't going to care unless the items you're selling fit the profile of a business, particularly areselling business (mainly, all sorts of sizes and styles of shoes and clothing - basically looking like the inventory of a charity shop rather than someone's own style and range of sizes.  Even if our weight fluctuates so we have different sizes, our tastes tend to not change very much, whereas resellers usually sell whatever they think will make a profit).


*this should not be taken as an indication that people shouldn't report their trading activity to HMRC if they take £1,000+ in gross receipts, it's just reassurance for private sellers to not needlessly worry.

Newcad

Miggilad68 said:

Hi,

I'm currently in receipt of disability benefit and I have to migrate over to universal credit .......

We could give better answers if you tell us a bit more:

Can you tell us just which benefits you currently get? (all of them please).
Not all disability benefits will be migrated to UC, for example PIP won't and DLA won't.

Have your actually received a Managed Migration Notice?

Miggilad68

Hi,

thank you for your response. I'm in receipt of ESA and housing benefit.Yes I have to return the form before the 10th July. 
Thank you for your help

Miggilad68

How do I reply to other peoples comments? Thank you for your help everyone .

RAS

Hit "quote", bottom left?

Newcad

Miggilad68 said:

Hi,

thank you for your response. I'm in receipt of ESA and housing benefit.Yes I have to return the form before the 10th July. 
Thank you for your help

Thanks,

As you are migrating from ESA and Housing Benefit the the much talked about "5 week gap" will not affect you much at all.

Both your ESA and your Housing benefit will pay another 2-weeks after you claim UC.

That's 2-weeks where you will get those as well as UC - so you get double benefits for 2-weeks and don't have to pay any back.

You will also be offered an Advance Payment of UC once you have verified your ID, which should be well before your first UC payment is due.
That will need to be paid back at so much a month from your future UC payments, but as you can have up to 24 months to pay it back that it isn't much each month.

Between the 2-weeks extra of both ESA and HB, plus the UC Advance if you take it, then you shouldn't need to sell any personal possessions.