Self-Employed HMRC update

[Snorkelface]

HMRC has added a few updates for the self employed grant scheme.

www.gov.uk/guidance/claim-a-grant-through-the-coronavirus-covid-19-self-employment-income-support-scheme

While HMRC will be contacting eligible claimants directly over the next couple of weeks with more specific details you can now see if you're eligible to claim and what date you'll be able to lodge your claim by using their on-line tool (about half way down their web page).

You'll need your UTR and NI number to do this and it will also give you the opportunity to set up your Gateway account if you don't already have one and to update your contact details. It's a good idea to set this up now as the website is likely to get very busy when it goes live on 13th May.

You can find both your UTR and NI number on your tax return. If you're setting up your Gateway at the same time you'll need to provide email/mobile details and you'll need to set up additional security measures to identify you using either security questions or drivers license details or your passport. The system can time out so it's a good idea to have all the details to hand.

Sunak hinted today that self employed payments wouldn't extend past June

But we've so far been able to claim for March/April/May

I'm wondering if that means we're going to get to claim for June...

😔 It seems so unfair.

Doès anyone know if UC assesment periods are just each month taken on its own merit?

So if you earn 0 for 6 months, then say 1000000 a month for the next 6 (we dont earn that) you don't have to pay the first 6 back? This kind of happened to us on tax credits a long time ago as they work it out over a year.

I wonder if they're assuming self employed businesses will go under.

Oh found out my answer. Not averaged out over a year!

I am self-employed working in various gyms & clubs so looks like there will be no money and no work for a long long time. No sure how Rishi thinks we will survive. UC doesn't cover anything. Not everyone who is SE has a choice either. Most instructors are self-employed - that is how it is with clubs.

We are really stuck. There is literallly 0 work available (like with gyms) but long term the business will still be there.

Im also worried if benefits will expect job seeking? When the plan is to return to the self employed work.

I had a call from Google offering DHs business a discount on adwords.
She started trying to say it was about optimising the SEO.
When I pointed out that the only thing that needed optimising was bringing back Glastonbury and the other paying summer events she got the picture.

He has no income for probably another 5 months.
Luckily I am still earning.
One of our children is graduating Uni into this maelstrom, the other had hoped to get a summer job
its all rather a mess

Im not earning but dla for eldest has just come through which was supposed to be put aside for extras for her. I can claim carers - but we really had pursued this for extras, relying on husbands income which has just gone. This is just looking so frightening.

By pure chance I had a fantastic month last month. Someone who owed me money from February paid up (only two months late, but great to get it after lockdown had started).

Then I got a regular job in (a magazine - I'm a graphic designer) that I honestly thought they wouldn't go ahead with, so was delighted when they got in touch and said they were going to go with an e-version.

Then on top of that I got another big job - a 40 page report - again only being produced electronically (no printed version) but from my point of view a good earner.

That was April. In May so far I've earned the princely sum of £165 and I don't have a single job in, nor a single job anywhere on the horizon.

All the people I work for are theatres, museums, restaurants and tourist attractions as well as people who put on events etc .. none of whom are operating at the present time. I have no work and won't have any work until lockdown restrictions are fully lifted.

The grant I got today is going to see me through probably until the end of June but after that I'm fucked. I will have no choice to sign on for benefits - universal credit or whatever it's called. I have no income.

This grant has given me a breathing space. I can survive and pay my bills for the next few weeks but after that ... well I'm trying not to think about it.

Not knocking the Government by the way. I think the way they organised and got this scheme out there is exemplary. Applying couldn't have been easier or more straightforward and payment in my account three days later.

It's just what happens after this runs out I'm worried about.

I find this (from Sunak) really quite odd........

"The Job Retention Scheme is designed to keep people attached to their employer.

"Support for the Self Employed is by nature different. We don't have information to know what the circumstances are of those who are self-employed. They could as we speak still be working and in receipt of a self-employment grant. So I think about it differently. "

Except it's not really. Today the Pick For Britain scheme was heavily promoted by the government, with specific emphasis on those who've been furloughed taking up the fruit picking work and being paid for it, while still being furloughed as well. So two incomes. There's in fact nothing to stop a furloughed employee earning money working elsewhere anyway (unless his/her contract prevents it) while on furlough. Two incomes again. There are also people who'd recently been let go from their jobs for pre-covid reasons who were put back on the ex-companies payroll and allowed to be furloughed - they're not going back to those companies when this is over, they've already left, they're not attached to those employers at all any more but are still receiving the furlough pay. Completely made up income. Don't get me started on the number of companies claiming the furlough grant for employees who haven't actually been furloughed at all and are still working for them on the quiet. Fraudulent income.

I hope Sunak starts thinking about the self-employed a bit harder.

Also when you do your tax return you have to explain the nature of your self employment In a brief description at the beginning of the return. So they do know the nature of our self employment?

@Snorkelface
Are your able to tweet that to him?

Genuine question. I don’t do Twitter, would be keen to hear his argument after your words.

Or Martin Lewis MoneySavingExpert?

I applied early Friday morning and the money came through over night. Hurray!

In other news I received an email this morning from HMRC saying they're processing my grant payment and to expect it within 3 days, I've already had the payment! Nice nonetheless and good example of how communication from HMRC can be a bit out of step with what they're doing.

@Snorkelface Ditto. Better to have too much positive communication than nothing I guess.

Martin Lewis reported last week that the SE scheme being extended was 50/50 as he has sources in the Treasury and again today he says the same. I think he is already doing as much as he can. Quite liked Rishi but if the SE scheme does not get extended, I will feel differently. Not all SE are earning much at all.

Handsoffisback - nobody knows. All we know is that those who qualified for the grant got three month's worth of payments as a lump sum. The March/April/May period given by the government is notional at best because the grants were approved and paid before May's even finished. It may be all we get. Anything beyond this one off payment will be an extension to the existing scheme.

Applied for mine on Saturday morning and it was quick and easy. Received the money today! My DP also received his. Hope it's going OK for everyone on here.

Thursday application, still no money 😞. Why is it so variable?

Applied Friday afternoon, money cleared into my account today. Perhaps it's something to do with your bank, InMySpareTime?

I had a reasonable March as still had stuff coming in until lockdown wiped all my clients' work off the face of the earth. April takings down 50%. May takings down from a usual £4000 or so to about £300. June, July, August predictions - diddly squat x 3. That money will help me over the next couple of months but to furlough until October and only help the self-employed til May (because there won't be a one-off payment in June, let's be realistic) is to hang out to dry a huge number of people. Surely another grant to October would both be fair and cheaper than universal credit?

Yes I put the CIS details in the employer section. Really cross with myself and just don't know how or why I did that.

Someone on a work forum DH uses did the same and has spoken to HMRC about it. They have basically said tough luck he is not getting the grant.

I doubt it is going to be any different for DH but will see what is said when they do the review. I guess we will have to look at the bounce back loan