UC expecting too much

[SaveMyTicket]

It's recently been decided by UC, that I'm not gainfully self employed. I'm therefore expected to job search for work for 25 hours a week.

I still have customer orders from my business that need completing which are taking up a lot of my time. There's no way I'm leaving loyal customers without their orders.

So I currently have to finish off my full time business, look for and apply for jobs, create multiple cvs for different job roles, take part in an online training program and of course manage the household and dc.

To make it worse I've been self employed for 15 years. This business worked well for many years and I earned a decent amount. Thanks to covid things took a nosedive to get me to where I am today.

I have no idea how to write my cv. Every time I try my mind goes blank.
I've only ever had 2 job interviews and both were terrible. Again my mind went blank and I answered I don't know to a lot of questions.
Self employment was great for me for the most part.

UC expect a lot dont they? Or am I just in a state of panic that life as I knew it is over?

Has this been a sudden change? I thought they had to help you for a certain period?

I guess you need to balance whether you are earning enough from the run off of your business which is closing for whatever reason or whether you need the UC money in which case you need to comply with their expectations.

Can’t you build up your business more so you don’t need UC? If you’ve got plenty of customers is that a possibility? Do you need to raise your prices if it’s not profitable enough? If it’s full time the realistically you shouldn’t need UC.

Well if you need to claim UC it's not a viable full time business is it? They have a point.

It's 25 hours at minimum wage. So if you get a higher paid job then you don't need to work 25 hours.

Look for a job with higher wages. What do you do whilst self employed?

You could be a self employed cleaner/babysitter for more than minimum wage. If you earn £15 an hour you only need to work 19 hrs for example

What was it about covid that affected things? Can you make any more changes to make it viable again?

Can you continue it on a small scale alongside another job?

Are you able to find a job in a related field? I can imagine you must be worried. I assume the change in expectation from them is income related rather than how many hours you work?

Covid in terms of lockdowns finished several years ago.

What is your business? Why did it take such a hut?

I think you need to provide sone more information regarding your business. How many hours do you work, how much profit do you make, what was different pre covid and what is the business, what scope is there for it to pay more.
Regarding the job hunting, one CV would be adequate to start with I think. What are your actual commitments that they are expecting off you. How many hours is the course and for how long. And how old are your children.
It's a tricky line with self employment but it was to ensure people didn't evade job search responsibilities with a inadequate business.
If you are able to maximise your business income thats probably better than looking for a job but they aren't well set up for helping / pushing for that I don't think.

Did this come out of the blue? Do UC know you are full time self employed or do they just know the income?

I'm sorry your business suffered during covid. What do you do?

It's about time they clamped down on self employed people not earning enough. If your business isn't viable why should you get government help?

There are lots of free CV templates online. One example https://www.reed.co.uk/career-advice/free-cv-template/
You only need one CV.

Have you costed your business correctly? It’s very easy to underprice yourself so do a new, thorough costing.

Are there ways to diversify your business? If you’re making a product can you sell kits? Sell instructions online as downloads? Make additional simpler products as add ons?

Covid was a long time ago. If your business is no longer viable, but you want to persevere with it; fair enough.

Just don’t expect taxpayers to keep subsidising you to plug the gap.

UC pays you monthly, so to ask for some of your time filing in CVs and going for job interviews is reasonable, that’s what you have to do for the money they give you, which is probably in the hundreds.

You only get a certain time before the minimum income floor comes in, I’m assuming you’ve reached that time and your business isn’t being in enough to support you, so you need to find something that does.

Your DWP contact / job coach will be able to help you get on a CV writing class and interview skills training - you just need to ask for it. It's free of charge.

Nmw 25 hours a week is £14, 872 annual salary. If this is all you are earning from your business full time after 15 years it isn't really viable.

Maybe rethink it as a hobby business, just do it a couple of days a week to try to build it up more and get an employee job until circumstances change?

It's fine to spend all your time working on a business that makes no money as long as you don't expect UC to fund you.

You can't expect the state to subsidise you running a business you can't make a living from. It's perfectly fair IMO.

Is it true that SE earnings don’t count at all towards the couples AET?

Yes if u rnt gainfully employed u shouldn’t expect handouts.

YABU - they aren't expecting too much in your case.

I agree with others. As inconvenient as it may be, it's the cost of receiving top up income.

25 hours a week is roughly part-time. You can still work on your business on a part time basis too.

Oh wow!!

They are expecting 'too much'? But YOU still expect your free money?

Babbahabba · Today 11:51
You can't expect the state to subsidise you running a business you can't make a living from. It's perfectly fair IMO”

This

Have you told them you are struggling with preparing your CV and with interviews?

They can refer you for help
with that.

Could you work from home in shifts, alongside your business. Could you do market/social research interviewing from home? One place I know offered London living wage, wherever you are. But it's casual so you pick your shifts each week, days, eves, weekends or a mix.
Something like that is good as if your other business gets busy you can just stop and go back whenever you need extra cash.
I think at this stage you need to think of your self employment business as a side thing. If it's taking up the majority of your time but you're ending up with less than min wage, you will need other things as main jobs.
You can still spend a few hours a week on it but consider it more of a hobby.

Use AI to write a CV. Many people do that and it's very rapid and useful.

Clarify your goals and try to navigate the system as best as you can:
do you want to keep doing your SE job as your main activity? Then push as much as possible and in the meantime look for a normal job to compensate your losses, then whatever comes first will decide your situation.

Or if you feel there is no way to improve a SE job then plan for a new career and in the meantime you keep doing what you're doing as a support.

It's your decision.

Confusion and panic comes from not being clear about what you feel is right.

Obviously the government wants to cut on non productive activities so you need to accept that help comes with strings attached, you can't expect to give nothing in return and stay on a low income with no expectations of improvement.

I'm self employed myself and in a similar situation, so I know what I'm talking about.

Don't forget that if you are SE you can deduct many expenses for your business from your monthly UC claim, so maybe pushing with advertisement while you are on UC might help before you decide to shut your business.

In your similar situation I'd be pushing to revive my business before I'll be forced to do something different, with an eye on finding some part time job to support myself, and in the meantime comply with my UC obligations, like sending CVS and attending interviews.
But it's very important that you decide what you want to invest on, what your plan is, whether an alternative career or revive your business. Since I've been on UC I am more organized to push for my business so in a way it is good to have their incentive to make it work. Make it or break it!!
At the beginning it is difficult to write a CV or go for interviews because it's all new, but over time it will become automated, if you choose to opt out of SE.

Let me close saying that successful entrepreneurs work 3 times more than employed people, so please expect that there is lots of work to do if you want to have a victory in your business.

Good luck...