UC and reporting expenses

mjh2222
mjh2222 Online Community Member Posts: 31 Connected
edited May 2022 in Universal Credit (UC)
Hi all

I am self employed and drive for Uber and Amazon and also get UC with LCWRA.

I use my car for the jobs however it needs repairs, it needs new brake pads and cambelt.

If I pay for these at the garage can I put all car repairs down as expenses and that will not be taken into account when I report my gross profit for the month?

Thanks,

Comments

  • calcotti
    calcotti Online Community Member Posts: 10,001 Championing
    edited May 2022
    Read this
    https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/universal-credit-and-self-employment-quick-guide/how-to-report-your-earnings-from-self-employment

    Assuming the car is a normal car, the answer is, as I understand it, no. You can only claim expenses based on the business mileage travelled
  • mjh2222
    mjh2222 Online Community Member Posts: 31 Connected
    Hi there

    Thank you for your reply, I just read the link and I am still unsure. 

    Because it says "You must report your self-employed income accurately. Only report expenses that are directly related to your business."

    I use the car (its a normal car) to work in, and if I do not get these things fixed (cambelt and brake pads) there will not be a car to work in?

    I also work in normal clothes which I pay for, I did not realise I could put a monthly cost on clothing?  Is that just a reasonable average amount like £40-£60 per month?  That is what I spend anyway, I am learning what I can put down.

    Thanks

  • calcotti
    calcotti Online Community Member Posts: 10,001 Championing
    edited May 2022
    mjh2222 said:
    Thank you for your reply, I just read the link and I am still unsure. 

    Because it says "You must report your self-employed income accurately. Only report expenses that are directly related to your business."

    I use the car (its a normal car) to work in, and if I do not get these things fixed (cambelt and brake pads) there will not be a car to work in?
    The guidance seems clear to me that you can only claim expenses based on the mileage you drive of your car is an unadapted vehicle.
    Car, van or other motor vehicles
    If you use a car (including a mini-cab) for your business, you must only use only the flat rate to report its running costs.
    If you use a motorcycle, van or other motor vehicle designed mainly for business (such as a black cab) for your business you can choose either to:
    include the actual costs of buying and running it in your permitted expenses
    use the following flat rates


  • mjh2222
    mjh2222 Online Community Member Posts: 31 Connected
    Hi

    Ok thank you for your replies and information.

    It is appreciated.
  • L_Volunteer
    L_Volunteer Community Volunteer Adviser, Scope Member Posts: 7,922 Championing
    You are welcome @mjh2222. It is the very least you deserve. Do you feel your question has been answered now? If you need any further clarification or would like any further support with anything, please don't hesitate to let us know  :)
  • calcotti
    calcotti Online Community Member Posts: 10,001 Championing
    L_Volunteer said:
    It is the very least you deserve. 
    Deserve what?
  • Alex_Alumni
    Alex_Alumni Scope alumni Posts: 7,538 Championing
    @calcotti I think @L_Volunteer was just acknowledging how nice it feels when a query you have is heard, taken on board, and answered. Another way of phrasing it might be "it's the least we can do".

    It can feel disheartening when we don't get a response, and it's a courtesy we're all entitled to when asking for help- especially in an online forum, where it's not always easy to know if your question has been seen :)
  • L_Volunteer
    L_Volunteer Community Volunteer Adviser, Scope Member Posts: 7,922 Championing
    Yes, you are right @Alex_Scope. That is indeed what I meant. Thanks for clarifying. Does this answer your question @calcotti?  :)
  • calcotti
    calcotti Online Community Member Posts: 10,001 Championing
    The reason I raised it is that I think we should really be careful of using the word deserve in respect of anything to do with benefits.

    There are rules that determine benefit entitlement.

    Whether or not certain individuals or groups 'deserve' benefit support is a political policy matter and I therefore don't find it helpful to use deserve (to me it is also reminiscent of the Victorian notion of the 'deserving poor' ).
  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Online Community Member Posts: 64,463 Championing
    I have to agree with calcotti here. In my opinion, no one "deserves" benefits.
  • calcotti
    calcotti Online Community Member Posts: 10,001 Championing
    edited May 2022
    Alicewillow said: Don’t think she meant it in relation to benefit anyway, I read it to mean that getting answers to their questions is the least they deserve, it’s the least anyone deserves 💕
    Agreed, just wanted to explain why I queried it. (I still don’t like ‘deserve’.)
    Alicewillow said:
    Playing devils advocate, don’t we all deserve the things we are entitled to? 
    Unfortunately there are many people entitled to things which I don’t think they deserve - but if we start that conversation it will get very political!
  • L_Volunteer
    L_Volunteer Community Volunteer Adviser, Scope Member Posts: 7,922 Championing
    edited May 2022
    Thanks all for raising this really important point. Yes, I didn't mean "deserve" in the context you took it @calotti.

    As @Alex_Scope and I have both clarified, it was meant in the sense that everyone deserves to be heard and supported no matter what they are going through  :)

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