Freelancers during this crisis and the Self Employment Income Support Scheme

[Badgers]

How long were you on hold for out of interest?

I'm currently at three hours.

5-10 mins

 

[Petcha]

5-10 mins

Am I doing something seriously wrong? It's been the whole afternoon...

What number did you call?

 

[Badgers]

Just the 0800 328 1344 number

They may be a lot busier with yesterday's news.

 

[Petcha]

It's seriously at almost 4 hours now. Insane. They're only open till 6pm too.

 

[Nivag]

(not sure how that will work for me personally - over last three years have been s/e then employed for a year then s/e again since mid Jan with less than a grand earned up to now - we shall see)

I've had a few fallow years, from choice to recover from some life craziness.

 

[Nivag]

Hopefully some good news from the government this week

 

[Anju]

Why the fuck can't the government just tell freelance / self employed people to state what their monthly income is for 2019-2020 tax year and then transfer one month to people's accounts. They can easily adjust things when people submit their returns at end of January next year.

Gives everyone some money for bills and food plus the government then have a month to put something more permanent in place.

Feels like they're working hard to find a way to dress up the bare minimum as a decent offer.

 

[Anju]

The chancellor in the commons now, saying they a working on the scheme to help the self-employed, and he hopes to make a further statement soon.

Still saying that unfortunately.

 

[Petcha]

So, I spent five hours on hold yesterday to UC. Then they closed.

Been on since 9am this morning. According to this article even when you get through appointments arent available until June.

Universal Credit phone lines jammed with laid off workers waiting hours to get through

STRUGGLING Brits say they’ve been waiting hours on the phone to try and claim Universal Credit after losing their income. While others say they’ve been stuck in an online queuing system…

www.thesun.co.uk

 

[Anju]

So, I spent five hours on hold yesterday to UC. Then they closed.

Been on since 9am this morning. According to this article even when you get through appointments arent available until June.

Universal Credit phone lines jammed with laid off workers waiting hours to get through

STRUGGLING Brits say they’ve been waiting hours on the phone to try and claim Universal Credit after losing their income. While others say they’ve been stuck in an online queuing system…

www.thesun.co.uk

It's ridiculous. How can they expect the benefits system to cope with 100,000s of new claims.

Just heard Corbyn on PMQs state that there were 110,000 people in the queue yesterday and caller on LBC who's dad had been up all night, managed to get online and then when they uploaded the required photo the system crashed. The guy is now going to work despite being in the 1.5 million extremely vulnerable group.

 

[Petcha]

How is there a queue for the online thing?

I've already done that bit (I think). Then the next step is you have to call to arrange an appointment which is what I'm waiting for. They dont tell you many people are in the queue.

 

[Anju]

How is there a queue for the online thing?

I've already done that bit (I think). Then the next step is you have to call to arrange an appointment which is what I'm waiting for. They dont tell you many people are in the queue.

Not sure tbh. Just what I heard JC saying at PMQs. Maybe it's the number of online applications to be processed.

Good luck with the holding.

 

[campanula]

try to hang in there Petcha - I am sure we called a 0300 number tho. When you do get through, it is very quick (get an advance as well) money in account in 2 days (although we are talking the princely sum of around £78 a week for a single person

 

[Petcha]

try to hang in there Petcha - I am sure we called a 0300 number tho. When you do get through, it is very quick (get an advance as well) money in account in 2 days (although we are talking the princely sum of around £78 a week for a single person

Yay, I got through. I have a phone appt for Monday morning, which is far sooner than I expected They only need a valid passport and a P45.

For anyone else calling, that did take 5 or so hours of being on hold today but you'll get there. I hear some mobile operators have a 2 hour max time for calls which must really frustrating.

 

[cupid_stunt]

There's going to be a government announcement tomorrow, regarding the self-employed.

 

[crossthebreeze]

Down to about 40% of what trade should be - but think its very unlikely I'll get any new trade so may well be down further next month.

When lockdown announced thought (according to what was first put out) I'd have to stop working, then advice changed yesterday morning and it was confirmed non-essential tradespeople could continue work today. Local public transport meant to be just for key workers so that makes things a bit harder.

Have ended up taking two days working from home anyway with stress-related illness - shaking like a leaf all day yesterday, horrible migraine today. My work tomorrow is actually classed as essential work (litterpicking public areas). Then I'll see what the government announce for self-employed people, and what trade associations say. I'm also applying for support worker jobs with the hope I'll get something part-time to tide me over whatever happens with the lockdown or logistics.

 

[HalloweenJack]

Well last week I was an actor, until they cancelled showbiz.

Unemployment I can handle- actors are good at it-boredom, unpredictability, lack of structure, daytime tv and binge- watching :
Welcome yo our world, Ladies and Gentlemen...

Unfortunately, I can’t claim UC, as I have savings I needed for my not too distant retirement, but I wonder what other help there might be for the SE gig workers?

 

[ska invita]

Well last week I was an actor, until they cancelled showbiz.

Unemployment I can handle- actors are good at it-boredom, unpredictability, lack of structure, daytime tv and binge- watching :
Welcome yo our world, Ladies and Gentlemen...

Unfortunately, I can’t claim UC, as I have savings I needed for my not too distant retirement, but I wonder what other help there might be for the SE gig workers?

80% of "recent" earnings, sounds like. I wonder what recent means

 

[Petcha]

An eligibility cap is expected to be set at around the median income level - £30,353 last year - meaning it will include cleaners, childminders and cab drivers but not high earning professions like lawyers or tech programmers.

One likely option being studied last night is to use January’s tax return for the financial year 2018-19 as the new scheme’s benchmark.

30k!? That's not exactly 'high-earning'. It will even rule out most teachers.

 

[cupid_stunt]

There's suggestions that help for the self-employed will be capped at £1,700 pm, compared with £2,500 for those employed, surely they can't be that fucking stupid?

 

[Proper Tidy]

Suspect this will all mean fuck all for me and for anybody else who has recently gone self employed - it's ok, you have universal credit (which won't cover mortgage interest, the biggest expense anybody will usually have)

 

[cupid_stunt]

Suspect this will all mean fuck all for me and for anybody else who has recently gone self employed - it's ok, you have universal credit (which won't cover mortgage interest, the biggest expense anybody will usually have)

At least you get a mortgage repayment holiday break, which just extends the mortgage from what I understand, renters get a break, but have to agree a plan with landlords to re-pay that, some landlords will no doubt want that re-paid within just a few months.

 

[Proper Tidy]

At least you get a mortgage repayment holiday break, which just extends the mortgage from what I understand, renters get a break, but have to agree a plan with landlords to re-pay that, some landlords will no doubt want that re-paid within just a few months.

Can request a payment holiday, have done and not heard back yet - lenders won't extend term automatically although I plan to ask them about doing it - standard will usually just be to treat as arrears and increase monthly payment after holiday ends to catch up. They will also usually update credit file showing missed payments which will fuck you up for years cos even one late payment on a mortgage is perceived as bad (its the most important bill so the one people maintain even if missing credit cards and unsecured loans etc) but think most lenders have said they won't do that at this time.

My worry is that things aren't going to be back to normal in three months, even if it's easier to operate its going to be hard picking up and finding work just like that, so help in the form of deferring payments just means deferring the shit storm for a little bit. But we're all in the shit together so there is that

 

[cupid_stunt]

There's suggestions that help for the self-employed will be capped at £1,700 pm, compared with £2,500 for those employed, surely they can't be that fucking stupid?

Thank fuck, the cap is going to be £2,500 pm, based on 80% of average profits over the last three years.

 

[crossthebreeze]

Suspect this will all mean fuck all for me and for anybody else who has recently gone self employed - it's ok, you have universal credit (which won't cover mortgage interest, the biggest expense anybody will usually have)

He's saying you need to have done a tax return (or can do a tax return in the next 4 weeks) for financial year 2018/2019.

 

[Epona]

He's saying you need to have done a tax return (or can do a tax return in the next 4 weeks) for financial year 2018/2019.

That's me out then, I haven't been self employed that long. We're stuffed, OH works for an agency in the hospitality sector zero hours contract and has no work and no assistance either.

 

[Spymaster]

Thank fuck, the cap is going to be £2,500 pm, based on 80% of average profits over the last three years.

That's going to fuck an awful lot of self employed people who've been deliberately keeping profits down over the years. What goes around comes around I guess.

 

[cupid_stunt]

He's saying you need to have done a tax return (or can do a tax return in the next 4 weeks) for financial year 2018/2019.

That's very fair, considering it should have been filed back in January.

 

[cupid_stunt]

That's going to fuck an awful lot of self employed people who've been deliberately keeping profits down over the years. What goes around comes around I guess.

I am fucking glad I declare everything, I know someone that doesn't declare anything, they are fucked.

 

[Nivag]

That's going to fuck an awful lot of self employed people who've been deliberately keeping profits down over the years. What goes around comes around I guess.

I found this out a few years ago when trying to get a mortgage.
Something people don't tell you to think about when you start out.
A good mortgage broker can sort it out via SA302s