[K.J.M]

Alrite guys as the title says im on the dole but due to start up my self ive got everything ready i.e trad tools ladder flyers etc etc. the thing is i cant gaurentee my monthly income yet and i dont want to jump in head first then find my self not being able to cover my bills every month let alone feed my family does any 1 no if i can claim any benefits until i get a decent regular income ive been stewing over this for the last wk im choking to get out there and earn a honest LEGAL income if any of you have been in the same situation recently PLEASE let me know i wanna get out there but wanna do it right

[Tom White]

It might be worth having a good google round some government business advice websites and have a chat with your local job centre.  The more information you get regarding benefits and business grants, the better.

Hopefully someone will be along with some better advice shortly.

Oh, I found a weekend security job when I first became a window cleaner.  The money was naff, but every little helped, and it was non-physical and meant I could concentrate week days on window cleaning.

[K.J.M]

cheers tosh i was in the j.c the other day when i signed and the bird in there didnt have a clue just told me to talk to the employment provider im under which im goin to see on thursday ive also got an appointment with c.a.b monday morning thought i would ask on here if any 1s recently been in the same position as the pen pushers dont seem to know there arse from there elbow   getting any kind of work around here is a nitemare there is nothing at all unless youve got the relevent qualifacations/tickets

[gto]

you can work up to 15hours a week before having to sign off, not sure how much though.

you tell them how much you earned and they take it off of your money.

but if your lucky enough to get it (i didn't) you can get £50 a week for 16 weeks to start your own business.

[Tom White]

This is a English site, but it covers benefits for the self employed and may be of some help.

http://www.newcastle.gov.uk/core.nsf/a/benefitssself

[H S and Son]

The job-centre can help you out. If you're anxious about talking to them about it just go in a speak to them as if you are thinking about starting part-time window-cleanign, not that you are currently doing that. Im sure it is still possible to claim certain benefits whilst working less than 16 hours or so a week.

Good for you, well done.

[K.J.M]

cheers lads info greatfully received its doin my head in cause i know i could go out canvessing and probably get a few jobs but then that would mean im on the fiddle which i dont wanna do cause i dont wanna be just another jack the lad w/c i want to do it all legal and try to make a good business out of it for my kids so they dont have to see me and the mrs struggling to put grub on the table like our parent/s did as for the j.c i dont think theyve got a clue the bird that signed me didnt she went off to ask an advisor he/she didnt either they said to me go and see the employment provider your with in my case its a company called the wise group but i cant get an app til thursday so ive made an app with c.a.b on monday which should hopefully put me in the picture like ive already said im am CHOKING to get out there especially with the gd weather weve bn having tell u 1 thing tho my windows have never been so clean lol

[woody1]

if your on the dole you can stay getting the benifits as long as you declare to them wht your making when you start making more than dole money you have to come off it and claim working tax credit and housing benifit

[bumper]

you have to work 32 hours a week or over to claim working tax credit if you earn under 4000 like me you dornt pa NI or TAX
Pus dole should give you something if just starting out

[Bay View WCS]

Alrite guys as the title says im on the dole but due to start up my self ive got everything ready i.e trad tools ladder flyers etc etc. the thing is i cant gaurentee my monthly income yet and i dont want to jump in head first then find my self not being able to cover my bills every month let alone feed my family does any 1 no if i can claim any benefits until i get a decent regular income ive been stewing over this for the last wk im choking to get out there and earn a honest LEGAL income if any of you have been in the same situation recently PLEASE let me know i wanna get out there but wanna do it right

Hey

I have recently done this.  I claimed Self-Employment Credit through the jobcentre where they will pay you £50.00 per week for 16 weeks.  You need to meet certain criteria but you should be ok.  They will arrange for you to call in after 6 and 12 weeks to make sure you are still doing what you said you would.

Have a look here: http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Employment/Jobseekers/LookingForWork/DG_173931

...but you will have to get a move on as it is about to change at the end of March- not sure if it will be a change for the better (knowing the govt. it won't be!) so I would recommend getting in the Jobcentre pretty sharpish and ask them for more info.

Also be a bit careful as those in the jobcentre sometimes don't know what they are doing/talking about.  When I went to sign on once I asked the person about the SE Credit and they hadn't even heard of it!  She then asked a 'colleague' who had heard about it but they gave me a load of wrong info- in fact, I knew more than they did and had to put them right on a few things- worrying really!  Anyway, I found the SE Credit to be a real help while just starting out- it helped to cover the bills in the first few weeks.

Good luck

Tom

[K.J.M]

thanks guys gonna go bk to the j.c monday once ive had my c.a.b appointment im gonna go tot he local business gateway aswel they seem to no the ins and outs from wot i can gather that se credit is up on the 31st so i mite still be able to get an application in to that i will let you know how i get on monday nite thanks again guys youve sort of rested my head

[RO-Sheen]

Good for you mate. You have the right attitude to run a business and in our line of work honesty and trust go along way with our customers. Im sure you will do really well!

[Paul Coleman]

Alrite guys as the title says im on the dole but due to start up my self ive got everything ready i.e trad tools ladder flyers etc etc. the thing is i cant gaurentee my monthly income yet and i dont want to jump in head first then find my self not being able to cover my bills every month let alone feed my family does any 1 no if i can claim any benefits until i get a decent regular income ive been stewing over this for the last wk im choking to get out there and earn a honest LEGAL income if any of you have been in the same situation recently PLEASE let me know i wanna get out there but wanna do it right

I know the dilemma well from when I started up 20 years ago.
I'm sure many rules have changed in that time but I did swing it - legally.  However, the problem is not the dole money (non means tested) as you can generally claim that so long as your income stays below a certain amount and making sure you earn all that in a single day.  The problem tends to lie with housing benefit and income support.  As I recall it the state itself was the biggest obstruction.  This was because each benefit had its start of the week on different days of the week.  As benefits tend to be assessed on a weekly basis, this makes it very difficult to honestly declare your income and retain enough to scrape by on (bearing in mind that you can deduct expenses too).
I wouldn't normally say this but I feel that if someone genuinely wants to free themself from benefits, they are better off being economical with the truth for a few weeks/months until they are earning enough to get by.  This is because if there is any type of enterprise allowance on offer (to ease the transition), you usually only get it if you have been out of work for quite a while.
While I normally wouldn't have the time of day for a long term cheat, I don't have any real issue about someone just taking a bit for a few weeks while they're sorting things out.

[Paul Coleman]

cheers lads info greatfully received its doin my head in cause i know i could go out canvessing and probably get a few jobs but then that would mean im on the fiddle which i dont wanna do cause i dont wanna be just another jack the lad w/c i want to do it all legal and try to make a good business out of it for my kids so they dont have to see me and the mrs struggling to put grub on the table like our parent/s did as for the j.c i dont think theyve got a clue the bird that signed me didnt she went off to ask an advisor he/she didnt either they said to me go and see the employment provider your with in my case its a company called the wise group but i cant get an app til thursday so ive made an app with c.a.b on monday which should hopefully put me in the picture like ive already said im am CHOKING to get out there especially with the gd weather weve bn having tell u 1 thing tho my windows have never been so clean lol

What you have to be careful of is that each staff member probably does know what they're doing - but only in relation to the particular benefit they deal with.  It's where it impacts on another benefit that the difficulties start.  I got lucky when I first started.  I was single and had no debts so I needed very little to get by.  Also, just as I was starting canvassing, I bumped into an old friend who put me onto one weeks driving a month - working away.  So for the first Winter, I built my window cleaning around the self-employed driving job.  By the time the driving folded, I had half a round which I could manage on.  By that time interest rates had plummeted (pulled out of ERM) and people had a bit more money to spend.  Even until I had been window cleaning for 6 months, I was still looking out for a job.  I knew what my destiny was when I was offered a job and turned it down.  Honestly, they wanted me to beg and scrape for a pittance.  I knew my future was in self-employment then.

[K.J.M]

Good for you mate. You have the right attitude to run a business and in our line of work honesty and trust go along way with our customers. Im sure you will do really well!

cheers mate

[K.J.M]

Alrite guys as the title says im on the dole but due to start up my self ive got everything ready i.e trad tools ladder flyers etc etc. the thing is i cant gaurentee my monthly income yet and i dont want to jump in head first then find my self not being able to cover my bills every month let alone feed my family does any 1 no if i can claim any benefits until i get a decent regular income ive been stewing over this for the last wk im choking to get out there and earn a honest LEGAL income if any of you have been in the same situation recently PLEASE let me know i wanna get out there but wanna do it right

I know the dilemma well from when I started up 20 years ago.
I'm sure many rules have changed in that time but I did swing it - legally.  However, the problem is not the dole money (non means tested) as you can generally claim that so long as your income stays below a certain amount and making sure you earn all that in a single day.  The problem tends to lie with housing benefit and income support.  As I recall it the state itself was the biggest obstruction.  This was because each benefit had its start of the week on different days of the week.  As benefits tend to be assessed on a weekly basis, this makes it very difficult to honestly declare your income and retain enough to scrape by on (bearing in mind that you can deduct expenses too).
I wouldn't normally say this but I feel that if someone genuinely wants to free themself from benefits, they are better off being economical with the truth for a few weeks/months until they are earning enough to get by.  This is because if there is any type of enterprise allowance on offer (to ease the transition), you usually only get it if you have been out of work for quite a while.
While I normally wouldn't have the time of day for a long term cheat, I don't have any real issue about someone just taking a bit for a few weeks while they're sorting things out.

I no what you mean paul about economical truth but where im living theres that many nosey jealous f***ers i would probably be grassed up within the wk but i might just go for it and get out canvessing monday

[K.J.M]

[



I no what you mean paul about economical truth but where im living theres that many nosey jealous f***ers i would probably be grassed up within the wk but i might just go for it and get out canvessing monday

[/quote]

 in fact maybe not after reading one of the other posts

[Johnny B]

West Coast,

I admire your attitude and work ethic. You deserve to do well and I am sure that you will.

I would keep the job centre informed as to what you are doing. You clearly are a man of integrity, which will stand you in good stead with the j.c. Honesty is not the best policy, it is the only policy!

Keep a record of what they tell you, in writing if possible, so that you can cover your back in the event of them giving you any incorrect advice (quite likely).

Very best wishes,
John.   

[K.J.M]

cheers john.
im on it first thing monday like ive said a number of times today i wanna get out working but the legal way yet i dont wanna jump in head first and f**k up yet the non legal way keeps popping its head up ive found my self heading off that way a few times (in theory) but keep telling my self to do it right then it will/should work out for the best in the long run

[christopher b]

West coast
I take it you have kids?
if yes I can posibly set you on right tracks, but not going into details on here PM me.