{"id":57344,"date":"2017-10-28T16:15:24","date_gmt":"2017-10-28T20:15:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.gayfriendschat.com\/socialblog\/self-employed-universal-credit-claimants-told-theyre-better-off-jobless\/"},"modified":"2017-10-28T16:15:24","modified_gmt":"2017-10-28T20:15:24","slug":"self-employed-universal-credit-claimants-told-theyre-better-off-jobless","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gayfriendschat.com\/socialblog\/self-employed-universal-credit-claimants-told-theyre-better-off-jobless\/","title":{"rendered":"Self-Employed Universal Credit Claimants Told They’re ‘Better Off Jobless’"},"content":{"rendered":"

Self-Employed Universal Credit Claimants Told They’re ‘Better Off Jobless’<\/b>
\nSelf-employed welder Andy White from Norfolk was told by benefits advisors he would not be sanctioned if he chose to be unemployed<\/strong>” alt=”Self-employed welder Andy White from Norfolk was told by benefits advisors he would not be sanctioned if he chose to be unemployed<\/strong>” data-credit=”Matthew Usher for HuffPost UK” data-portal-copyright=”Matthew Usher for HuffPost UK” data-provider=”Other” data-provider-asset-id=”205810566″ data-has-syndication-rights=”false”><\/p>\n

Self-employed people claiming in-work benefits through <\/span>Universal Credit<\/span><\/a> have been told by government advisors they\u2019d be better off jobless, risking further turmoil for the crisis-hit benefit reform.<\/span><\/p>\n

The shock advice emerged as thousands of sole traders, from window cleaners to hairdressers and others, move onto the flagship programme<\/a> to receive entitlements such as working tax credits.<\/span><\/p>\n

But the changes introduce demands so stringent some entrepreneurs are being told they may as well shut down their business and sign on to the dole, while others say strict rules have left them reliant on food banks and charity handouts.<\/span><\/p>\n

In messages seen by HuffPost UK, one claimant was told by an official they \u201cwould not have a sanction applied\u201d if he chose to end his trade and became unemployed.<\/span><\/p>\n

Theresa May’s government has said Universal Credit ‘makes work pay’<\/strong>” alt=”Theresa May’s government has said Universal Credit ‘makes work pay’<\/strong>” data-credit=”PA Wire\/PA Images” data-portal-copyright=”PA Wire\/PA Images” data-provider=”pressassociation” data-provider-asset-id=”2.33434863″ data-has-syndication-rights=”false”><\/p>\n

Meanwhile one new business owner has just weeks to prove she earns a specified amount of profit before being forced to join the dole queue.<\/span><\/p>\n

The advice flies in the face of the government\u2019s defence of Universal Credit, which it claims \u201cmakes work pay\u201d. <\/span><\/p>\n

Work and Pensions Secretary David Gauke said<\/a>\u00a0in August: \u201cThe incentives and support we have put in place are helping people into work and to stay in work, contributing to the UK\u2019s record-high employment rate.\u201d<\/p>\n

And former Prime Minister David Cameron, who oversaw the reforms in Downing Street,\u00a0once urged<\/a>\u00a0\u201cmore people to make a job than take a job\u201d.<\/p>\n

But the Federation of Small Businesses, which represents traders, told HuffPost: \u201cAs it stands, Universal Credit poses a real threat to entrepreneurship in the UK.\u201d<\/p>\n

As it stands, Universal Credit poses a real threat to entrepreneurship in the UK<\/span>Federation of Small Businesses<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

HuffPost revealed last week<\/a> how a \u201chidden\u201d clause restricting in-work benefits has begun to affect some of the 800,000 strivers who, according<\/a> to an influential think tank, will eventually be required to move onto the new system.<\/p>\n

Universal Credit has already been plagued by problems, including a perilous six week wait in payments, a surge in <\/span>the use of loan sharks<\/span><\/a> and <\/span>food banks<\/span><\/a>, and <\/span>rip-off fees to call its helpline.<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Now more than a dozen traders on the flagship programme have told HuffPost how the system\u2019s treatment of the self-employed has left them struggling to keep afloat.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2018They\u2019ve backed me into a corner\u2019<\/h4>\n

Welder Andy White, from Gorleston, Norfolk, said the imposition of a \u2018minimum income floor\u2019 (MIF), whereby the government expects traders to earn at least \u00a31,049 a month or see in-work benefits deducted, has left his family with less than \u00a3100 a month after paying rent.<\/span><\/p>\n

Self-employed welder Andy White from Gorelston, Norfolk, has been left with less than £100 after a cap on his benefits was imposed<\/strong>” alt=”Self-employed welder Andy White from Gorelston, Norfolk, has been left with less than £100 after a cap on his benefits was imposed<\/strong>” data-credit=”Matthew Usher for HuffPost UK” data-portal-copyright=”Matthew Usher for HuffPost UK” data-provider=”Other” data-provider-asset-id=”205810568″ data-has-syndication-rights=”false”><\/p>\n

He says becoming a job seeker would see their income from benefits increase by as much as \u00a3500.<\/span><\/p>\n

The MIF roughly tracks the National Living Wage and is part of a package of rules that will see traders hit to the tune of \u00a31.5bn by 2022, according to <\/span>figures<\/span><\/a> from the Office for Budget Responsibility.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s been a tough few months and I haven\u2019t earned anywhere near the fictitious income level they\u2019ve demanded,\u201d White told HuffPost. \u201cI\u2019ve paid into National Insurance for years and years, yet now I need a little help it\u2019s not there.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

White has had to rely on food banks and charities to support his partner and their child.<\/span><\/p>\n

One advisor told us he was off for two weeks in the Maldives while we were explaining to him we were going to food banks<\/span>Andy White, Norfolk<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

After being told of the MIF, White proposed a new business structure which would see his partner handle marketing and spending up to 16 hours a week drumming up new business.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThey just didn\u2019t want to know. In their eyes, my partner wouldn\u2019t be gainfully employed,\u201d he said.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve been treated disgracefully by the job centre,\u201d White, who has been a welder for over a decade, added. \u201cOne advisor told us he was off for two weeks in the Maldives while we were explaining to him we were going to food banks.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Despite the promise of work in the coming weeks, the family\u2019s dire finances are so pressing White said he has been forced to consider leaving the family home or closing down his business, despite years of experience as a metal fabricator.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIf I moved out,\u00a0my partner would be a single parent and we wouldn\u2019t be on the same claim,\u201d he said.<\/span><\/p>\n

Message logs from White\u2019s online account reveal weeks of conversations with Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) advisors over his options.<\/span><\/p>\n

‘If you decided your self-employment is not viable, you would not have sanction applied’: A copy of the message sent to Andy White from a government benefits advisor<\/strong>” alt=”‘If you decided your self-employment is not viable, you would not have sanction applied’: A copy of the message sent to Andy White from a government benefits advisor<\/strong>” data-credit=”HuffPost UK” data-portal-copyright=”HuffPost UK” data-provider=”Other” data-provider-asset-id=”205807278″ data-has-syndication-rights=”false”><\/p>\n

Asked whether there would be sanctions for shutting his business down, an advisor replied: \u201cIf you decided your self employment is not viable, you would not have a sanction applied.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s left little to the imagination for White who says his landlord has suggested his family may need to find another home if they delay paying rent.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve feel I\u2019ve got no choice, they\u2019ve backed me into a corner,\u201d he said of ending his trade. \u201cI just think they want me to get a job rather than build something for ourselves.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

How a self-employed worker could lose out<\/strong><\/h4>\n

A self-employed worker could in theory find themselves worse off compared to an employee with the same annual earnings and family characteristics.<\/p>\n

An employee in a couple<\/a> with one child, with a stable salary of around \u00a312,000 a year, would earn \u00a31,000 a month from employment, topped up with approximately \u00a3500 of in-work support.<\/p>\n

But a self-employed worker also earning \u00a312,000 over the course of a year may take home a different amount from month-to-month. For instance, earning an extra \u00a3200 in a given month would reduce their entitlement by\u00a0\u00a390, while taking home \u00a3200 less in another month would increase their entitlement by just \u00a35. This is because the minimum income floor restricts their entitlement in months where earnings are lower than a full-time worker on the minimum wage.<\/p>\n

Source:\u00a0Resolution Foundation<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\u2018I feel like giving up\u2019<\/h4>\n

Retailer Nicola Smith said the rules are so arduous she is now considering shutting her shop in Kendal town centre despite years remaining on the lease.<\/span><\/p>\n

Retailer Nicola Smith says she feels ‘totally demoralised’ by Universal Credit’s rules for the self employed<\/strong>” alt=”Retailer Nicola Smith says she feels ‘totally demoralised’ by Universal Credit’s rules for the self employed<\/strong>” data-credit=”George Carrick for HuffPost UK” data-portal-copyright=”George Carrick for HuffPost UK” data-provider=”Other” data-provider-asset-id=”205807767″ data-has-syndication-rights=”false”><\/p>\n

\u201cI feel totally demoralised, I feel like giving up,\u201d the 57-year-old owner of Grandma\u2019s Puppet Shop in Cumbria told HuffPost. \u201cI am seriously considering it. I have a few years on my lease. With a shop you sign up for years and legally they can make you pay that. But still we\u2019re thinking about it.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

According to her own calculations, the MIF rule could see her lose \u00a3600 a month versus the old tax credit system.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIf I was getting say \u00a3600 a month and they deduct 67p for every \u00a31. I\u2019ll have lost \u00a3600 a month,\u201d she said.<\/span><\/p>\n

Carr said she feels the stringent regulation of small businesses like hers doesn\u2019t reflect the value they give to society.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThere are benefits to society by not just sitting there [and claiming benefits],\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u201cWe are contributing to society with just a little top up.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Nicola Smith sells animal puppets and other toys from a shop just off Kendal high street<\/strong>” alt=”Nicola Smith sells animal puppets and other toys from a shop just off Kendal high street<\/strong>” data-credit=”George Carrick for HuffPost UK” data-portal-copyright=”George Carrick for HuffPost UK” data-provider=”Other” data-provider-asset-id=”205807789″ data-has-syndication-rights=”false”><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not like we\u2019re fiddling. The whole structure needs changing,\u201d she added.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2018Better off job seeking\u2019<\/h4>\n

The first craft maker Helen Ledlow* knew of the MIF was when it was explained to her at a jobcentre. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe advisor was nice about it but very to the point,\u201d the South West-based jeweller told HuffPost. \u201cShe said if I didn\u2019t start earning the figure of \u00a31049 a month by January, they would have to look at my case. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s when they mentioned being unemployed.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Ledlow began her business in January this year and was given a 12-month grace period during which her entitlements under Universal Credit are paid without deductions.<\/span><\/p>\n

Helen Ledlow makes unique jewellery for sale on market stalls and on her own website (file photo)<\/strong>” alt=”Helen Ledlow makes unique jewellery for sale on market stalls and on her own website (file photo)<\/strong>” data-credit=”miljko via Getty Images” data-portal-copyright=”miljko via Getty Images” data-provider=”getty” data-provider-asset-id=”546770268″ data-has-syndication-rights=”true”><\/p>\n

But with the 12-month deadline approaching, a DWP advisor explained to her that she would need to prove she was earning the equivalent of the Living Wage full-time or face penalties, dubbed \u201csanctions\u201d by officials.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThey said that because I was only just managing to break even, I\u2019d be better off with the job-seeking element of Universal Credit,\u201d Ledlow said. \u201cThey didn\u2019t seem to realise that breaking even is an achievement for a new business. They just think I should be earning \u00a31049 a month minimum.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThey are saying that I need to find another primary source of income or face sanctions for housing and tax credits,\u201d she added. \u201cIt was as though any old job would do.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Ledlow became self-employed after suffering poor mental health. She is able to manufacture jewellery at home and go out to sell items on market stalls and on the internet. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThis is working for me,\u201d she said. \u201cI\u2019m not earning thousands but I\u2019m spending as much as I\u2019m earning at the moment.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

She hopes Christmas will see her make a profit for the first time, but points out that monthly reporting means that a few good weeks of trading won\u2019t prevent the MIF being imposed.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI just need a little boost to help me along, that\u2019s all I\u2019m asking for,\u201d she said.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2018I have no safety net, they have taken it away\u2019<\/h4>\n

Other self-employed people who contacted HuffPost included roofers, joiners, taxi drivers and even actors, demonstrating the breadth and scale of the issues with Universal Credit across the country.<\/span><\/p>\n

Facebook groups dedicated to the reform\u2019s affect on the self-employed are growing, as the roll out of Universal Credit full service gathers pace.<\/p>\n

One taxi driver said Universal Credit rules haven’t helped her chronic illnesses<\/strong>” alt=”One taxi driver said Universal Credit rules haven’t helped her chronic illnesses<\/strong>” data-credit=”Maremagnum via Getty Images” data-portal-copyright=”Maremagnum via Getty Images” data-provider=”getty” data-provider-asset-id=”sb10063144bc-001″ data-has-syndication-rights=”true”><\/p>\n

Liverpool taxi driver Kathleen McGinnity, 51, said self-employment rules on Universal Credit don\u2019t help those battling chronic illness.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI suffer from a chronic disease called ulcerative colitis and have been having a flare up for over a month,\u201d she told HuffPost. \u201cI\u2019m on Universal Credit but don\u2019t receive anything as I have the Minimum Income Floor applied. I still have to ring up every month to report everything.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cUnder the MIF, I am not entitled to free prescriptions so I have found myself prioritising which meds I need each month for my condition as I can\u2019t afford all meds prescribed.<\/span>
<\/span>\u201cI have no safety net, they have taken it away.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

One roofer who declined to be named said he had \u201cgiven up\u201d claiming benefits he believes he is entitled to.<\/span><\/p>\n

One actor told HuffPost that just one day’s work on BBC hit ‘Casualty’ could see benefits cut for an entire month<\/strong>” alt=”One actor told HuffPost that just one day’s work on BBC hit ‘Casualty’ could see benefits cut for an entire month<\/strong>” data-credit=”PA Images via Getty Images” data-portal-copyright=”PA Images via Getty Images” data-provider=”getty” data-provider-asset-id=”830033230″ data-has-syndication-rights=”true”><\/p>\n

And an actor from London, who declined to be named in this article, said just one day\u2019s work on a television programme such as \u2018Casualty\u2019 could see their in-work benefits reduced for over a month.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOur profession involves irregular employment and erratic earnings,\u201d the thespian who has TV, film and stage credits told HuffPost. \u201cUnless an actor is in a soap opera, a long-running play or a tour with a guaranteed length, he or she is likely to need to claim some form of benefits between jobs.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cUnder Jobseeker\u2019s Allowance, an actor would declare a day\u2019s work and lose a week\u2019s benefit,\u201d they added. \u201cNow, a day\u2019s filming work can result in benefit being cancelled for an entire month.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Mike Cherry, National Chairman at the Federation of Small Businesses, told HuffPost:\u00a0\u201cUnless Universal Credit is fixed, many of our strivers will find themselves cut off from a vital lifeline and out of business.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe benefits system is an important safety net providing valuable support to one-fifth of self-employed people. As it stands, Universal Credit poses a real threat to entrepreneurship in the UK. It is incompatible with self-employed people\u2019s fluctuating incomes, has onerous reporting requirements and does not reflect the time it takes to set up a business.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cNo system should encourage claimants to give up running their businesses prematurely. Changes must be made to address the unfairness in the Universal Credit system. The Government should be encouraging more people to set themselves up in business, not making their lives more difficult\u201d.<\/p>\n

A spokesperson for the Department for Work and Pensions said in a statement: \u201cUniversal Credit supports self-employed people for up to a year while they establish their business. If after a year, the business isn\u2019t meeting the minimum income floor, then they will have to either increase their self-employed earnings or take on additional work as part of their claimant commitment.\u201d<\/p>\n

*Helen Ledlow is a pseudonym.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n

\nwww.huffingtonpost.co.uk\/entry\/self-employed-universal-credit_uk_59f1f8d5e4b077d8dfc7dce8<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Self-Employed Universal Credit Claimants Told They’re ‘Better Off Jobless’ Meanwhile one new business owner has just weeks to prove she earns a specified amount of profit before being forced to join the dole queue. The advice flies in the face of the government\u2019s defence of Universal Credit, which it claims \u201cmakes work pay\u201d. Work and … Continue reading Self-Employed Universal Credit Claimants Told They’re ‘Better Off Jobless’<\/span> →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2466,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[107],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-57344","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\nSelf-Employed Universal Credit Claimants Told They're 'Better Off Jobless' - GAYFRIENDSCHAT.com<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gayfriendschat.com\/socialblog\/self-employed-universal-credit-claimants-told-theyre-better-off-jobless\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Self-Employed Universal Credit Claimants Told They're 'Better Off Jobless' - GAYFRIENDSCHAT.com\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Self-Employed Universal Credit Claimants Told They’re ‘Better Off Jobless’ Meanwhile one new business owner has just weeks to prove she earns a specified amount of profit before being forced to join the dole queue. The advice flies in the face of the government\u2019s defence of Universal Credit, which it claims \u201cmakes work pay\u201d. 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