Leaving job to be self-employed- Benefits

[preggers30]

Hey all

I have been feeling the stress of my job for the past year and have applied and interviewed for a few other positions but to no avail.

My background is business (degree and teaching) and I have been running a little business for the past 4 months.

I have just gone through a miscarriage and my bosses attitude has really made me want to leave even more so. I feel sick with dread at going back in next week.

I would really love to give in my notice and really pursue my side business full time however it isn't at the stage yet where I can achieve a full time income.

I have done the universal credit calculator and it looks like we could get a bit to top up our household income (based on my partner's wage and the income from self employment)

This would be great to cover us for the first couple of months whilst I can get the business to a full time income but would we be able to claim universal credit if I gave up my job to be self employed full time?

I've read things about sanctions and not being able to claim if leaving a job but I would be working just not on the same income?

Has anyone ever given up a full time job to go self employed and claimed universal credit alongside?

It would probably go to a decision maker to determine if your reasons were good enough - if they decided they weren't, that would be when you received a sanction. Could you not put money aside for a few months to cover the deficit if they did sanction you?

To be honest, I think it's unlikely to be a problem but there is no guarantee until you actually did it. If you have a business plan etc to show that you will be able to build the business then it's more likely to be accepted.

Are you aware of the minimum income floor with self employment and how that will work?

Looks like whether you are expected to look for an employed job (and therefore presumably not to leave one) depends whether they consider you to be 'gainfully self-employed'. See here.

If you think you can get your business to a full time income in a couple of months (wow!), could you not do the same in slightly longer if you stayed in your employed job?