Declaring small additional income to UC? Your help please!

Jenny_Palmer

I’m on UC/LCWRA but do work a few hours via a PAYE job and hoping someone can shed a bit of light on my confusion!

I declared I was both employed and self employed via a change of circumstance in UC journal on Thursday morning this week as I want to input some very small additional freelance earnings outside main work - I was told on the UC helpline this was the only way to prompt the option for adding extra income to your journal - and even anything extra such as £60 a week in my case has to be accounted for?

Then coach on my UC journal says he’ll add the option to my to do list every month (yesterday morning) as I explained via journal my work situation hadn’t changed - still eligible for LCWRA etc - but earnings had in that they’d only be potentially small if there was any and I just needed to declare this to UC.

To do list is still the same - no updated option HOWEVER is this because I’m not at the end of my current assessment period yet? Not due a statement until the 26th and I read that’s when you get the option in to-do list?

Meanwhile women on UC helpline insists I need gateway appointment to confirm self employment business even though I’m on LCWRA and can’t be declared gainfully SE etc and fills out a form to send to local JC to trigger that!

I explain all this on journal and the only reply is “I will try to sort this for you. It shouldn’t be a problem.”

No appointment or updated to do list as of yesterday close of business and I made the change of circumstances on Thursday morning.

Help? 😂

I thought I was doing everything right and it should be fairly simple but v afraid now all this will trigger a review etc!!

TIA, I’m finding it all very stressful!

poppy123456

As you declared you're self employed you will still need a gateway appointment but it will be very short. You are correct that you can't be found to be gainfully self employed because you were found to have LCWRA.

Earnings and expenses for self employed need to be reported on the last day of each assessment period.

It won't trigger a review.

Jenny_Palmer

Thanks so much Poppy!

when will the option to report any additional earnings appear in my journal do you think?

poppy123456

No problem. It won't be until the last day of your assessment period, later this month. (before your next statement)

Jenny_Palmer

Ah so that’s why it’s not there yet!

I presume as the UC helpline filled out the form requesting the gateway appointment to my local job centre that this will happen before that?

Weird how I was told on the UC journal he could just add the to-do list without the appointment - that’s what confused me!

Thanks so much,

Jen

Jenny_Palmer

I just got the appointment for Monday at my local JC!

I don’t have any ‘proof’ of SE business to bring as it’s not going to be a main employment - I can bring copies of wage slips for my main job but unsure what else at this point as it will only be a small amount I intend to declare as and when I might earn extra every month…

I have asked if I might have the appointment via telephone instead of in-person so I’ll see what they say.

Thanks again, the stress!

poppy123456

Even though you have LCWRA an appointment should still be needed but it will be very short. You don't need to prove anything during that appointment due to having LCWRA. It will be just to explain some things to you, such as reporting earnings and expenses.

Jenny_Palmer

Ah okay, thank you!

I have asked if it might be via telephone for ease so I’ll see - they may say no!