Family comes first surely ?

[Pinkchenille]

4 years ago my friend started a cleaning business. My mum was looking for a cleaner so I gave her my friends number . After 18 months or so she started to clean for my mums ndn too.

My mum has always had the opinion that if you want something you work for it so isn’t very forthcoming with helping out when I’ve struggled but my youngest is now in full time school so I wanted to work but I’ve not been able to for years due to some medical issues . I said to my mum would she consider letting me be her cleaner and as she has that kind of work ethic opinion mentioned above she was happy to do this as she would be helping me out but I wouldn’t be doing nothing in return.

she gave her cleaner (my friend) notice and I’ve now been cleaning for her a few weeks . Her ndn is one of her best friends as they’ve lived there for over 30 years and she had been talking to her and ndn has now given notice and asked me will i clean for her too (she’s aware of my medical issues and knows this will make throngs easier for me I’ve known her years and it was her suggestion)

My friend (well I’m not sure if she is anymore) has accused me of poaching her clients !!! But I’m not . They had given notice and yes I asked my mum but i didn’t approach her ndn. She’s says I shouldn’t have asked my mum but it’s my mum and surely family comes first especially given my circumstances 😞

Well you did poach them!

I think you can justify your mum but you should not have taken on your next door neighbour. If you want to keep the friendship I would ring your friend, ask her if she’d take the neighbour back and if she would then tell the neighbour you didn’t think it through, and she needs to return to using your friend.

So of you’re not worried then why not tell them. If I was your former friend I’d report you for this.

Is this really how nasty and low some people have become? You'd report someone with several disabilities, who was earning about 40 quid a week for a bit of cleaning? Really? I can understand being a bit pissed off but reporting them is disgusting behaviour.

This. I think the mum I'd probably ok, but the NDN isn't, and then your attitude trying to justify it instead of just owing it. You've probably lost a friend (did you tell her beforehand, so she knew well in advance?)

The calculator is saying we would be entitled to UC. I didn’t think we would be. My youngest is at school though what happens about PIP would I have to look for a job 16+ hours or not ? I don’t want to claim it as I can’t do that many hours or if you get PIP do they not do that ?

Nobody is suggesting they're perfect. They're just saying own it!

🤣

Do you care that you've potentially lost a friend in all of this?

Good friends are hard to come by and I'd be really upset at losing one, especially without trying at least to have a chat and explain myself.

Maybe you've just not touched on it, but it does seem as if you don't even care about losing a friendship which is really sad.

YANBU

My mum was looking for a cleaner so I gave her my friends number . After 18 months or so she started to clean for my mums ndn too.

You did your friend a favour originally by recommending her to your mum and she also got the neighbours business because of your mum already using her so NO, you don’t owe your friend anything at this stage.

Fact is, a service industry such as cleaning, car repairs, hairdressing etc. will gain and lose clients all the time to other people for a variety of reasons. All the people that work in these industries are well aware of this and yes, they can feel annoyed when they lose a long term client but no-one owes them their business and your mum and her NDN are free to choose who they want to clean their homes.

I didn’t think UC was possible for us as my partner works full time I thought it was only an out of work benefit ? I’m so confused I need to call citizens advice I think next week

If she's any good she'll seen get other clients to take their places

There is quite a simply worded guide to PIP on the Scope website. It explains you need to notify DWP if your condition improves and you are able to carry out some of the PIP activities, so you would need to check your original assessments/ award and consider whether travelling to your mum and next door neighbour and then carrying out domestic cleaning for 4 hours fits with your assessed capabilities. However, the other issue will be if your friend set up a proper business and is insured and paying tax and you are working cash in hand so undercutting her rates. I wouldn’t be surprised if you get investigated at some point in the future if she reports you. Imagine if your DH turned up for work and was told his hours were being cut as the boss was going to illegally employ a relative paying cash in hand?

She doesn’t need to declare a new job to dwp when on pip

This is incorrect. This will absolutely not happen due to a failure to report finding a job given it is not a reportable change of circumstances for PIP.
The worst that could happen is that OPs friend may report her as not having personal care needs as stated, which if taken seriously may trigger an investigation. However if the OP explains as she has here, it shouldn't effect her entitlement.

Don't be daft, OP can't speak for NDN in this way. NDN is a grown adult who is presumably perfectly capable of deciding who she wants to clean her house! OP didn't put any pressure on NDN, she didn't even approach her, she really hasn't done anything wrong.

Yes friend might be a little annoyed, that's understandable, but if you work for yourself in this way you know there are always going to be clients coming and going, it's the nature of the business.

She’s unlikely to be liable to pay income tax for doing 4 hours cleaning a week.
🤦🏻‍♀️

Hmmm well then her friend should have no trouble finding new clients.
Weird responses.

@Pinkchenille

“family comes first” is not a get out claus OP

Soz

The way I see it is your friend wouldn’t even have your Mam as a client if you hadn’t gave your Mam her number in the first place and she has now had four years work out of it
I wouldn’t hesitate to help out my daughter rather than someone else and perhaps the neighbour feels more comfortable with you doing it rather than your friend.
Don’t worry about it OP. You have enough on your plate.

You don't have to report changes in employment for PIP as long as theres no change in your condition and you're not doing something you've told them you can't do!

However you WOULD need to declare your income, because if thats £10 an hour you're earning over 2K. You wouldn't be liable for any tax, but you WOULD have to do a tax return and declare it.

You have time though, you can try this out for a few weeks and then decide if you're going to carry on - I think you have 3 months from the start of sole trading self employment to sort that out and get your UTR etc.

You did poach your friends clients, I can understand why you did... I can also understand why she'd be pissed off though. You have to own that I think, shes not unreasonable to be annoyed, if I was losing 40 quid a week I'd be pretty annoyed too!

You didn’t poach the ndn as she approached you and not the other way round. I’m not sure that you can really ‘poach’ a client when it’s your parent. You’re free to set up a business and advertise it. ‘Poaching’ would suggest you obtained the client dishonestly

@Pinkchenille I agree that technically you are not committing Benefit Fraud by not telling the DWP that you are doing some work.

BUT there is a fine line here. IF the fact you can do some cleaning work contradicts the reason(s) why you got awarded PIP in the first place then at the very least the DWP would want to review the PIP award to make sure you were still entitled to it.

From what you have said, it will probably be ok - but I do think to be on the safe side you should either tell DWP or at least take advice from a Benefits advisor. Otherwise, as others have said, you may get reported - so it would be much better to tell them and ask how it will affect your PIP? That way you are covering yourself.

I do not think you have 'poached' your Mum's custom from your friend - not so sure about the neighbour though. At the very least I can understand your friend being upset about the neighbour, at least.

In your other posts you talk about money for electric and food basics.
By whose definition is that not needing to work?
I'm self employed and I would not be happy if I was down two clients.
There are jobs you can do from home if you need familiar surroundings
You're being ridiculous if you can't understand why she's not happy

Universal credit can be an out of work benefit or a “top up” benefit, many low income families rely on UC to top up their income.

I'd never speak to you again, what a bitchy thing to do.