a quick question about benefits
Hello, Im A, I am quite new to this site. I have a question to anyone who has ever done Avon/Ann Summers home consultancy...
I am currently an unemployed single parent (booo hisss) to a lovely 3 year old boy. I have been applying for jobs and havn't been getting so much as a second look, so on friday I am due to sign up to be a Bodyshop @ Home consultant.
I am on benefits and was just wondering if any of you lovely people could tell me how it would effect them doing this kind of work and who do I tell first, if anybody?
I am really worried that they will either cut my benefits right down and I'll end up being worse off, or that I'll basically be doing it for nothing. Obviously the latter wouldn't be too terrible as I would be doing something I enjoy, getting out and meeting people etc, but what happens if I don't get any bookings one month, or people don't order enough stuff? Is anyone familiar with the rules about how much money you are allowed to earn (if any) before it majorly effects benefits? How does it work, do you get like a sheet where you write your earnings for the week and then they deduct it? Is it worth bothering with at all? I am so confused about it all :S
Any advice you can give me will be much appreciated, thankyou!
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Hello, HeyJude
Yes, £20 per week when you are a single parent on Income Support. Strictly speaking this is indeed on a week by week basis, as Income Support is calculated on a weekly basis too. if you earn more than this then strictly speaking you should advise the benefit people, in fact ell them anyway that you are going to be earning. You cannot work more than 15 hours per week.
I am thinking you are probably going to be "self employed"? As such you need to keep financial records, and tell the tax people you are self employed. They will try to send you a small quarterly bill for National Insurance but there will also be instructions as to how to apply for an exemption on the grounds of insufficient income so you should get an exemption. Give the newly Self Employed Helpline a ring on 0845 915 4515. You can also do very straightforward one day courses on how to do a tax return etc, through Business Link
Don't be put off by all this,it is a great idea to get a business going now, before you are compelled to job seek when your son is seven
Hi HeyJude
Do you have to pay out anything in the first instance of being a Home Consultant? Have you done any research into if people in your area would be interested? It might be worth doing some door knocking first, to see if there are any would-be customers?
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I have just been reading around on here and found, the answer I was (sort of) looking for. You can earn £20 a week without it affecting your benefits (wow, goodygumdrops!)
Is this calculated every week or as an average over the month? I'm still really confused :S