To be disappointed with self employed income protection scheme.

[Northernsoulgirl45]

So finally today I get to claim my self employed income support.
I ran a small business as a hobby really so only had small profits.
Since than I have taken on 3 jobs which sometimes are treated as self employment and sometimes not. Many probably don't bother registering as self employed as most are under 1000 trading allowance. Most of these jobs commenced in 2019 so not counted.
So today I worked out how much I would have earned just on these new contracts and my payment is only 40% of the income.
So I guess I am annoyed with the companies I deal with as a little more effort on their part would make me and the rest of team paye and therefore would have received proper assistance.
I am also fed up of prople banging on about the generous self employed scheme as for many it is not.
Not only did we have to wait months for support, the support is often not fair and the scheme has not been extended like the paye scheme.
Aibu

[Northernsoulgirl45]

O and I know self employed can get other work but not when you dh is shielding.

[Calic0]

I don’t think you’re being unreasonable to be disappointed that you are getting less money than you might have hoped. I think that this scheme has to be designed and pulled together very quickly and, as such, it is very far from perfect. But you yourself say you’ve already waited too long for support so presumably you wouldn’t have wanted it to spend another couple of months waiting around for the design to be improved?

Also, sorry, but with regards your second post, it is eff all to do with the scheme or anyone else that you are not getting a job. Plenty of people are working with a shielded household member.

[Northernsoulgirl45]

I did consider looking for work but all that was available would have involved more risk thsn I was prepared to take so I know it was my choice.
Plus at the moment I am juggling lots with 2 kids with some additional needs at home full time and a dh who due to illness needs support too.
Obviously unable to access the right support for dd2 especially right now so it is tough.

[Unhomme]

I think you're being unreasonable and generalising poorly. You want a scheme that fits your unique needs.

[Northernsoulgirl45]

Incidentally the comment was just to counter the argument often seen where it is stated that self employed furlough is better as you can still work. In theory that is true but often it is not practical.

[Calic0]

I’m sorry about your circumstances @Northernsoulgirl45 and I’m certainly not trying to say that the scheme is perfect but you’re lumping a lot of issues together (if I understand your first post correctly, among other things, you’re annoyed that you would have been better off as an employee for jobs that you did as a self employed contractor) and a lot of them are no one’s fault. It was never going to be possible to create a scheme which gave everyone exactly the amount of money they feel they should have and enable them to stay at home and not work for the foreseeable.

[TeacupDrama]

Gently but YABU, as you say yourself your situation is complex, your earnings are not high so the payouts will be small too, life is tough but unlike the furloughed we can continue to work

I am also self employed and logged on this morning as today was my day for me it was straightforward took about 7 minutes to get what was promised 80% of normal earnings upto 50K well I didn't make 50K so it was not max payment but I think the speed at which this is up and running is commendable as self employment is tricky of course there are cut offs and there have to be some accounts to go on, I am trying to work but as due to closure my government of various outlets I am unable to get stock so corona has dramatically dropped my earnings

[ivfgottostaypositive]

I know several self employed people that got £5k in their banks this week - whilst still going to work! Quite a few holidays being booked for next year and even a bloody hot tub!

[ohlookthisisjustdaftnow]

Well my DH has tried accessing the website several times today to be faced with a message saying it is currently unavailable, and to try again later.

[Northernsoulgirl45]

Tbh I think I am more disappointed that the work I do is not under PAYE as there is a case to say it should be.
Plus also feel like there have been some quite judgy attitudes recently towards the self employed on here.
Anyway I suppose I should be grateful to get something but I still feel that the self employed scheme is overall less generous.

[Northernsoulgirl45]

I can't work as the work just disappeared. Tbh I doubt that they will all return. I suspect only one out of the 3 will but such is life. At least I have been paid for last one I did before lockdown. Some haven't.

[WickedlyPetite]

There are winners and losers with the scheme. As someone who is self employed I was really pleasantly surprised we were getting anything at all.

Tbh I'm getting tired of people complaining that they're disadvantaged because 2017 was a bad year for them, or they only started being self employed in 2018, etc etc...

I'm genuinely seeing this as money I never expected to get.

If only coronavirus had waited until everybody had 3 good years of tax returns eh!

[peony68]

ohlookthisisjustdaftnow

Did mine last night about 8.30 pm , didn't have any trouble getting on the site took minutes , so might be worth waiting till later when it's not so busy .

[Northernsoulgirl45]

You have to confirm that you business has bedn adversely affected to claim @ivfgottostaypositive. So they should be careful as they could get prosecuted.
@ohlookthisisjustdaftnow I think each person has been given a claim date to allow tge system to cope.
Tbf the claim process was quick and easy.

[vanillandhoney]

No, YANBU. The support available for the self-employed is absolutely shocking.

A PAYE employee who has only been working since February 1st will get between 80 and 100% of their income until October.

Someone who went self-employed in February but who has been paying tax via the PAYE system all their lives is only entitled to universal credit, despite the fact that they've been paying more into the system than the current PAYE employee above.

I appreciate it was cobbled together at the last minute but it should be based on how much tax you've paid in total over the last three years, whether that be PAYE, SE or a mixture of the two.

[zoemum2006]

I am in the limited company director trap. If I could claim the money I've paid in tax over the last 3 years, life would be sweet. I'm entitled to very little despite contributing a lot (all my income is declared).

Oh well...

[Northernsoulgirl45]

Thank you @Calic0

[mencken]

I've lost my SE work but can't claim because it is under 50% of my income. So bang goes a third of my income...

so much for diversifying, but that's the way things are.

[Tootsey11]

As far as I was aware you can only claim it if your business has been affected, and you have to show this in your accounts. I'm not sure how anyone can claim and still be working. Maybe I'm wrong.

[ScarfLadysBag]

You're perfectly entitled to keep working. In fact that's the best outcome - they don't want self-employed people to stop working. But incomes will have dipped, people might have less work than usual as a result of Covid or have less time to work because they need to do childcare, which is what this is for. I'm still working, albeit at reduced capacity as I have to look after my DD, so I will be claiming because I'm learning less than I would otherwise. Given this is perhaps the only assistance SE will get, you would have to be very secure in not only the current state of your business but its future going forward.

And the worst-case scenario, in the unlikely event HMRC do decide you don't need it, is that you pay it back. So if you claim it and end up not needing it, just pay your tax on it and stick it into savings.

[vanillandhoney]

I'm not sure how anyone can claim and still be working. Maybe I'm wrong

Maybe because if you lose 80% of your income, you're going to struggle?!

[Northernsoulgirl45]

I think you are allowed a paye job but yes you shouldn't claim if business is unaffected

[ScarfLadysBag]

But yes, it's a broad brush scheme and plenty will fall through the cracks, unfortunately. I was on maternity leave that spanned two tax years, so my grant is a lot lower than it would have been otherwise.

[Northernsoulgirl45]

Well all your income for two months.

[mrsjoyfulprizeforraffiawork]

I am also self employed and logged on this morning as today was my day for me it was straightforward took about 7 minutes to get what was promised 80% of normal earnings .....but I think the speed at which this is up and running is commendable as self employment is tricky of course there are cut offs and there have to be some accounts to go on,

This. Same for me. I am just really grateful they decided to do anything at all for us. I have lost all my prior bookings as a locum p/a as none of my clients can now take holidays and some have closed their businesses temporarily. I still have a tiny bit of intermittent home typing work (about 4 hours a week) but obviously not enough to pay bills/food etc so have been living off my savings (that were going to pay for my necessary dental repairs) since lockdown began. In my line of business March to October is my very busiest time and the money I usually make now helps keep me through the leaner winter months - not this year, though.