warning to all self employed people out there

[sbt]

hi all i hope this post does not bore you as it is a bit long winded but i think people need to know how this government treat hard working honest people. on xmas eve i was laid off from work i was employed within the building trade which as been badly affected recently. anyway i find myself having to sign on at the jobcentre so after xmas i make an appointment to register i am told that i must apply for at least 3 jobs per week to be entitled to job seekers allowance of £60.50 per week i agree to this. then the other day i receive a letter telling me that i am not entitled to claim job seekers allowance the reason being i was self employed for 3 years from 2005 to 2008 and self employed national insurance payments do not count towards unemployment benefit. so to summerise i started my working career in 1976 i have worked constantly since then paying tax and insurance into the system for 33 years. i asked them on the phone why i was not allowed to claim and they told me i had not paid enough class 1 insurance for year 2006 to 2007 i asked what about the previous 29 years of payments only to be told that these do not count then i asked them what about 2008 when i was employed and paying full tax and insurance only to be told that this also did not count. so i have gone from bringing home £370.00 per week to nothing. this is how you are treated after paying into the system for 33 years i would be better treated if i had just come into the country under a lorry at dover. i am disgusted at a system that you pay into for years and then you are entitled to nothing when you need it

[onzarob]

I would go to the CAB or get some professional advice...I've been self employed and made NI contributions...nowhere does it say they are not real payments..its real money we had over!!!

I hope its just poor advise from the job centre, good luck.

[zollaf]

i feel for you. the only way to get on in this country is to be self employed at all times, and hopefully never have to rely on the welfare state for help. or scrounge of of it all your life. that way you get a house, with the rent paid for, a tidy little income, free dental, free bloody everything in fact. if you own your own home and work, they dont want to know. criminals get treated better.
i hope you manage to do something.
p.s. , im self employed, mortgage to pay etc.., just hope the work keeps coming in.

[paul b]

Feel for you sbt, would hate to be in such a situation.

My outgoings are more than whats coming in at the minute, the wife packed in working in Liverpool and is training to be a childminder. I'm employed part time 3 days a week and self-employed with my own property maintenance company the other 4 days (I work all day, every day, every week).

I could pack the part time in and go alone, most likely making more money than I currently do, but I'm being cautious and staying in that job for now. Maybe once the wife is working again, I might gather the courage to go alone, again.

Paul

[Crasher]

I am sorry to hear your story, it is very depressing. I have been self employed for 25 years and have always paid my dues like yourself, to read what you have put is very disturbing. Maybe you should go out tonight, rape a pensioner, steal a car, use a forged credit card, father a child with just anyone, burgle a house, get drunk, beat someone up, take and sell some drugs and then attack the police officer who arrests you. Then everything will be laid on for you, benefits, accommodation, education the lot plus someone wearing open toed sandals to stroke your brow saying there there. BUT whatever you do, don’t get caught doing 4mph over the speed limit in a car registered in your name. If you want to drive, use a car registered in someone else’s name and drive it without insurance, MOT and tax, if you get caught they will fine you £50 paid back at £1 a month and they will give you the money to pay the fine anyway.

[Borab0y]

Thats not good,

If you were 16 and straight out of school you'd be OK, after them paying for you to turn up at shool they wouldn't think twice about paying you jobseekers when you leave, its all wrong.

[martin1810]

Hi Sbt. I hope you can find some work soon. They said exactly the same thing to a friend of mine. Funny they don't tell you until you need to claim.

[ini]

Surely you would still be entitled to the same amount of 'Income based jobseekers allowance'.

[MalcQV]

I am sorry to hear your story, it is very depressing. I have been self employed for 25 years and have always paid my dues like yourself, to read what you have put is very disturbing. Maybe you should go out tonight, rape a pensioner, steal a car, use a forged credit card, father a child with just anyone, burgle a house, get drunk, beat someone up, take and sell some drugs and then attack the police officer who arrests you. Then everything will be laid on for you, benefits, accommodation, education the lot plus someone wearing open toed sandals to stroke your brow saying there there. BUT whatever you do, don’t get caught doing 4mph over the speed limit in a car registered in your name. If you want to drive, use a car registered in someone else’s name and drive it without insurance, MOT and tax, if you get caught they will fine you £50 paid back at £1 a month and they will give you the money to pay the fine anyway.

I should laugh at this but can't as it is so true

And if what has been said is the case this really is a stupid system we have here. SBT I hope you find something soon.

[Flying Scot]

Sorry to hear your story, but in my option it just sums up this country's attitude to those of us who endeavour to work hard and make a life for ourselves without the need for scrounging.

You could always head for Jamaica and bring back a suitcase of class A drugs!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/glasgow_and_west/7858924.stm