How can we claim benefits? DH deemed to be working but not getting any ££ yet!

[WotchOotErAPolis]

My DH has been out of work for almost half of the last 3 years. He is currently out of work again, since being made redundant in April.

However we really don't know if he can claim anything as he is currently doing some work for his ex-company, but won't get paid until he submits an invoice which won't be until he's successfully delivered mid-August [he's currently late delivering the first phase so may be at risk of mot being paid at all!]. Then we will have to wait for 60 days for payment of the invoice!

Is there anything we can claim for e.g. JSA, housing benefit, council tax rebate etc, given that it appears to me from a first look at government websites that we can't claim as he's deemed to be self-employed and working, even though we have had no income since 1st April and have lost 18 months of earnings during the last 3 years.

The council looked at our weekly income to determine Housing Benefit payments, so they'd only count DH's SE work once he was paid for it, not in the weeks he was working but not being paid.

I don't know if your council is the same, but it's worth asking.

I don't have any experience of anything else, sorry.