Are you self employed claiming UC as a single parent?.

[GeckoFeet]

If so please can you tell me how difficult it is to submit your earnings each month?

Do you have to actually pay your tax every month too? Currently I do myself self assessment myself and pay my tax in January and July.

I intend to work roughly school hours, earning around £27000 per annum. Will I be pressured into work full time? Kids will be with me apart from EOW plus one other night.

Thank you

In terms of showing your earnings every month I don't think being a single parent makes any difference. I assume you keep your business and personal bank accounts separate. If not you really need to.

You will need to show that your are gainfully self employed. After the first year of your UC claim you will also need to deal with the Minimum Income Floor.

If you're making £27k I don't think the latter will be a problem. Are your kids in good health? Are you a carer for anyone, for example and elderly relative.

Yes I keep them separate. I've been self employed for a few years now so definitely stable in it but I'll be claiming UC for the first time as getting divorced and moving out.

Kids are fine but I'd like them to only have to go to after-school club 3 days a week rather than 5. Am I allowed that option?

I'm not a carer for anyone.

I specified single parent as if you're earning £27000 and have a partner who's earning similar then they wouldn't be able to claim UC.

DP was on UC for a while and he's self employed. He just put in his earnings before tax and then any expenses into the form on the journal and then he was awarded the correct UC. We didn't have any issues with it.

The reason I mentioned kid's health and caring was to do with the MIF and possible exceptions.

If you claim childcare costs through UC then the provider needs to be OFSTED registered and there is a ceiling on what can be claimed. UC have no interest in whether your kids go to after school club, childminder erc or for how many days.

There is no upper income limit for UC. If you live in a high rent area, say Outer North West London, a couple both earning what you do would qualify.

Also, you can send the children to childcare as often as you need to, as PP said it needs to be ofsted registered. You pay in advance then claim back what you can.

With childcare I mean will they expect me to work full time.

He should have deducted the tax due from his gross income, as UC is based on net income.

Not making that deduction means he got less than his full UC entitlement.

@LakieLady at the moment I pay my taxes in Jan and July...how would I work out what my net income is on monthly basis?

You have to submit income details monthly on UC and you'll be underpaid if you don't deduct your tax.

You deduct your costs for that month from your income, to give the "profit".

Then you divide your personal allowance by 12, deduct that amount from the "profit", and your tax for that period will be 20% of what's left. Show the tax as a deduction from your "profit" and that's what UC will take into account.

If you pay self-employed NI, deduct that from your "profit" too.

Sorry, posted too soon. If you've over- or under- calculated the tax overall, adjust the tax deduction for UC purposes when you pay it in Jan and July and submit your income to UC with that adjustment made.

Thanks @LakieLady . Can I still use an automatic tax pot on my my business bank account? Or will I have to actually pay the tax each month too?

Do you happen to know how to work out my NI and my student loan repayments?

So it will be like doing a self assessment every month only that I also have to work out the tax and NI myself too.