going freelance

[katie-robinson]

Hello,

Im looking into doing a bio sculpture course and then going out and working for myself.
I have a makeup qualification so have other services to offer to.

I am currently an at home mum, and on benefits ; housing benefit, job seekers.

Has any one experienced how working for your self would effect benefits coming in.
Im worried about loosing housing benefit if i start getting money in, as i wont be able to afford to pay it my self..

I know that i probably wont be working any where near 16 hours a week especially within the first couple years,, but im really not sure of what to do..

any help/tips or stories would greatly be appreciated..

Thanks
Katie

 

[jotommo]

hi
it depends on you circumstances...
are you a single mum?
i think you still get help but they obviously won't pay you benefits when your earning a living... or we'd all be claiming it!
you need to phone you benefits and ask them, also if you do work 16 hours you'll get more tax credits ect if you are a single mum xx

 

[katie-robinson]

this is the tricky bit, im a couple.. but partner doesnt work (hes at uni full time doing 2 courses)
so it would just be me earnng..
ive asked council about housing benefit they said they wouldnt know untill i start work..
and job centre did a better off calculation.. butstill not to sure on it..
hmm
I want to get back into work, just wanted to see if ne other mums working for them selves would know..

thanks for ur reply

 

[MissConfused]

income support which i think is the same as job seekers allowance? if you are self employed from what i was told it wouldn't just go off your hours your income would also be took into consideration. def check with them yourself to find out though so you don't get any shocks.

housing bennefit as far as i am aware it goes off your household income - every member of your house hold including any extra money coming in eg. money owed to you by somebody else, so if it goes up it will change. maybe you should try phoning again and give an example of what you might earn and see if they can help you. i've had calculations done before about jobs, so not too sure why you wouldn't be able to get one?

the above was before i moved in with my partner who works full time. even though he works full time we still received tax credits - i phoned them up to ask what would happen if i started to work and i'm sure they said earn up to just over £5,000 and it would remain the same again though give them a call and ask them can they give you an idea of what would be available to you. also as your partner is at uni and you would be working then i'd guess you would need childcare - so see what you are entitled to for childcare also.

i'm sure some people will read this and think oh my god what a lazy thing to say but what is the point in working if you are no better off? (i can hear people now saying that's what's wrong in socity and how your kids will never have any worth ethic instilled in them) yes i know it's about pride but pride isn't going to keep a roof over your head and feed and clothe your children. i'm not sure how old your children are but if you get things like free milk vouchers/fruit vouchers or free school meals when i asked about what they were etc. i was told because my partner worked full time we wasn't entitled to them. so there are other bennefits you might not have thought about like eg. the milk/fruit vouchers/school meals so don't forget when working out if it is financially worth it to you to bare in mind other kinds of bennefits not just the obvious ones like jsa and houseing bennefit.

x