You don't need to be an 'investor' to invest in Singletrack: 6 days left: 95% of target - Find out more
Anyone applied for this now it’s open?
How are they asking you to quantify your losses?
Yep sorted it today, Got a nice chunk back! Its automatically worked out on your last 3 years tax returns, all they needed off me was UTR no, NI no and bank details..Oh and you have to register with the government gateway thingy. Its pretty easy I managed and I'm rubbish with admin/computers.
As above. Really easy. Nothing about quantifying losses etc. Had it sorted by 8:15 yesterday morning.
Lucky lot.
I can't get anything as I spent so much setting up on tools etc that I've essentially not made any profit yet. 😭
Very easy to do but not as much as I hoped for. Turns out not all my net income was eligible. Going to end up with 80% of 80% of 60% of 3 months pay. So about 1 months pay. Better than nothing but not quite the headline figure
@kayak23 were you able to get help through the council administered scheme? Your workshop should make you eligible.
Just done mine. glad I've always played straight dice with the HMRC so I got the full £7.5k.
It's really easy, just need UTR Number, Nat ins number and your bank details. if works everything out for you.
I’m supposed to wait until the 15th to apply for mine.
They kept saying ‘if you’ve incurred losses’ and I can’t prove that till the next month or two, which is why I asked.
Yes,same as ^^^ really happy ive not took the .... through the years and not had massive amounts of expenses,had mine set up ready just incase of faff,really easy process,thankfully they done the leg work so too speak,would of liked a bit more as it fell well below three months pay but as they say 'better than a kick in the b...'
Oh,and some how managed to have it done by 07:55am yesterday???
Apparently all the people eligible in Northern Ireland need to ring in as the Driving License check won't work on the numbers used there. Finally something that the IT department weren't able to achieve in the time!!
Anyhoo back to providing refreshments to my call-centre worker in the dining room. There are many, many calls being taken here.
I am not eligible as my occupational pension income has been very marginally more than my part time self employed income, so although my self employment hours have gone and so income halved ( from not a great deal but comfortable to some way below the income tax threshold on an annual basis) no help. But I do know that I am very lucky to have some income at all so not going to loose any sleep over it, just means I’ll have to be more frugal until I (hopefully) get some more hours back in the future.
With this 3 month instalment generally playing catch up income wise back to end feb. How do we think the gov will run this going forward, will they make another average monthly payment again mid to end June, will we have to wait another 3 months and do the same excercise.
Any concerns it will be a one off and pulled after this, if so it’s not really following the principle afforded to furloughed workers.
I’ve been told I can apply after midday today. Few people on site have applied and been given good amounts. My work hasn’t been entirely interrupted but I have lost money. It looks like all sub contractors I work with will be out of work as employed workers return and things are quiet so I think long term I will loose money. Hard to quantify potential losses from all this
They kept saying ‘if you’ve incurred losses’ and I can’t prove that till the next month or two, which is why I asked
Yeah it is a difficult one - I haven't incurred losses yet as our business works on long-term projects and is all on invoice (30 days terms) so I am still being paid for work completed at the beginning of the year but projects we should have started have been delayed so my losses are likely to start becoming more apparent in another 3+ months. My view is that I am claiming as the support probably won't be available when I may start to struggle.
Done mine this morning - very easy.
I think this may be a one-off though.... can't see it being extended like the furlough scheme.
Wife went through this and we will get some cash. Less than I thought but not by much
But luckily she isn't the main bread winner
Ltd company here so the only thing on offer for me is cheap debt.
I’m a Self employed chippy and have been fortunate to have been working 2-4 days a week throughout so far. Obviously my normal 5 days a week has been disrupted. Should I apply for this for the loss of earnings or count myself lucky to have some income. I don’t want too take the piss or end up having to pay back when this is all done and dusted.
The self-employed scheme is a grant based on average taxable profit over the past few trading years, subject to some other criteria- but the calculation is automated and doesn't require you to quantify the impact of the lockdown, just confirm that you have been adversely affected.
Just done mine, very easy, got pretty much what I had worked out it would be.
Nice boost for me as I'll use it to invest in tools, I have lost some work and some I have put on hold as I felt the risk at the properties was too high for both myself and the customer.
the calculation is automated and doesn’t require you to quantify the impact of the lockdown, just confirm that you have been adversely affected.
Yep - I think it would be advisable for anyone that can claim to claim, irrespective of their financial situation today because none of us know what position we'll be in later nor what financial help may (or may not) be available at that point.
Yep – I think it would be advisable for anyone that can claim to claim, irrespective of their financial situation today because none of us know what position we’ll be in later nor what financial help may (or may not) be available at that point.
This is exactly why I have claimed. I’m not affected yet but I will be in the coming months and there is likely to be no support at that time
Claimed here, works easily, got a small sum and a tax refund today as well and a premium bond win as well.
Like others have done made my claim, collected my claim, reasonable amount due to honest accounting over the last few years.
Situation here over the lockdown done some work, but also lost some work.
In my industry, engineering and manufacturing I suspect that the total loss of work will be delayed as current projects run out and there will be a gap in new orders coming in.
Some companies I know have got orders, but, are running out of materials to fulfill those orders. Materials are a bit specialized and cannot just pop out to Screwfix to replenish.
I just did the eligibility check and it turns out I'm not entitled due to earning over the threshold. What a load of BS. Good luck to you peeps who can claim. Seems pretty unfair to rule out those who played by the rules, declared everything and just happen to work *(&*ing hard.
If I can't find a contract after my current deal expires in June then I am my family are *(£$ed.
TBF, if you have earned over £50k profit a year for the last three years then you shouldn’t really be needing financial help.
Claimed. The three year average is a bit annoying as my first year of self employment included a big contract that was paid PAYE. Average self employed profit - taking this into account - was slim and the actual payment only about a third of lost contracts. Still, better than nothing. Last month was the first time I’ve not paid myself which was a bit shocking, but at least overheads were covered.
I was able to claim yesterday. Service was a bit busy but after about 15 min oh a holding page it fired up and I did the claim in about 5 min.
Amount was what I was expecting, having done a rough guess from my tax returns from the last 3 years.
It will replace just under 1/2 of what I’d have earned so far had we not been ‘locked down’.
I’ve done about 12 days of work since 24th March and although there are some signs that a couple of clients want to start up again soon I’ve lost thousands in cancelled contracts both during the lockdown and works that were planned for later in the year.
Got my claim in yesterday, was a few hundred more than what i was expecting so pleased with that.
Obviously for people who aren’t eligible for it, what about the bounce back loan?
No credit checks, no background checks and government backed. Just put in what you want and it’s in your bank in a day or 2.
It’s cheap borrowing and you can pay it back early.
Seen quite a few other sparks almost boasting that they got the maximum (£50k)...can see them in trouble in 12 months time when it’s time to start paying it back as work won’t have picked up to pre Covid levels.
kayak23 were you able to get help through the council administered scheme? Your workshop should make you eligible.
Trouble is, is I share a workshop with another maker and his name is on the business rates and all that so again, don't think I can get anything.
the calculation is automated
click on the ‘how we calculated’ and check the numbers used match your returns. There have been instances of data missing here
Was approved for £7500 this morning.
Feels like a hefty bonus now, but I suspect it’ll be all I have to live on in a couple of months so some hard to find self control will be required.
TBF, if you have earned over £50k profit a year for the last three years then you shouldn’t really be needing financial help.
I beg to differ.
This smacks of the Gov picking the same arbitrary figure to mimic the Child Benefit £50k cap with no consideration for other variables. Imagine a family of four with one parent self-employed turning over say £52k and the other staying at home. They get no support. Whereas a family of three with both parents earning £49k, one of whom is furloughed and receives 80% while the other is self-employed and qualifies for the SES. How is that fair?
At the very least, there should be other considerations taken into account and perhaps even a tapered tier of support IMO.
How is that fair?
It isn't fair. The system was put together pretty hastily by a government who aren't very good at this sort of thing.
That said the whole pandemic isn't fair and it is much harder on the poorest in society and those earning £50k+ are well out of that bracket.
Obviously requires a bit of self control (like not just spunking it all on a flashy new van 😂) but that's what I'll be doing! Free money sitting in my account for a year... if I need it, it's already there, if not just pay it all back before any interest is due. No-brainer really!Seen quite a few other sparks almost boasting that they got the maximum (£50k)…can see them in trouble in 12 months time when it’s time to start paying it back as work won’t have picked up to pre Covid levels.
Free money sitting in my account for a year…
Max out on the premium bonds?
TBF, if you have earned over £50k profit a year for the last three years then you shouldn’t really be needing financial help.
Extraordinary ignorance displayed here – do you feel better for your self-righteous post?
Consider someone supporting a family on a single income of 51k/year, with no job security, sick-pay or holiday entitlement… income decimated by the current situation.
What would your advice be? Save harder?
The cap on the size of the grant makes perfect sense, the arbitrary threshold above which you can claim nothing does not. Taper it if need be, but for the help to drop to zero, when some people are likely to be facing 6 months with none of their normal income, if in a sector where return to the workplace is still a no go, well… it does look like a mess, especially if they have already paid their 2018/19 tax bill in full, and can’t even use the deferment of their second payment.
Only thing I’m a bit unsure of is that so far my business hasn’t been massively affected( bar maybe a week lost but with the economy likely to take a dip and employed coming back into site I’m going to be the first to go. If that does happen that money will come in very handy. However if it doesn’t happen and I carry on working as normal will said money have to be returned?
It's a grant not a loan so there's no interest to repay (from the gov.uk website)-
"The grant does not need to be repaid but will be subject to Income Tax and self-employed National Insurance."
so while it doesn't have to be repaid anything you get will be counted in next year's tax & NI calculations, at least that's how I read it.
Yep, just treat it like regular income (but without VAT).
oh wait.... You're talking about the loan, not the grant.
Some people are living in cloud cuckoo land. The gap between minimum wage and national average wage is huge yet people have to manage. The gap between national average wage and £50k profit is equally huge yet those people also have to manage. Some are single wage families and they also have to manage. If people didn’t think about worst case scenario when they took out big mortgages or bought the wife an Audi then whose fault is that? It will be the lower earners bailing you out for eternity (*)
(*) possibly an exaggeration but hopefully you get it.
Just gone through it.
I thought it was all a bit odd. Very easy, but odd.
I was expecting to claim 80% of the difference between my average earnings over the last 3 years and my actual earnings over these 3 months.
But instead I get paid all of the 80% of my average for 3 months.
I was also expecting to get overpaid, but then have to pay back.
So I've been probably been paid about double what I needed. I don't understand the logic of this. Although at least this way it doesn't deincentivise work I suppose.
They've presumably calculated that it's worth the risk to slightly overpay some people to make the scheme simple.
A lot will be returned as tax next year don't forget, and I'm pretty sure the NI advantages of being a sole trader will be taken away in the next budget.
They'll get it back one way or another, there's no such thing as free money - unless you're already rich!
there’s no such thing as free money
Indeed, and I'm sure we'll all be paying in some way for years to come. Unfortunately, I imagine it will mostly come in ways that hit the poorest hardest.
Got mine into the bank yesterday.... That was quick!
Already put the tax part of it into another account so I don't spend it!
I got mine today, I’m tempted not to touch it until I’m desperate. Although I’ve lost work I’m still currently working so I can cover bills. My losses are impossible to prove so I’m very concerned mr tax man will see I’ve still been earning and demand the money back.
I’m not sure how they could possibly manage it - if (for example) a person earned £40k in 16/17, £45k in 17/18 and £49,999.99 in 18/19, their expected earnings would be £55k for the coming year so it would be fair for them to say that anything less than £55k would be a fair reason for them to claim. It’s so not black and white (and the Government understaffed) that I can’t see anyone being asked to give money back.
The way I see it, they have concluded that to check with everyone that their income has actually been affected is far too complex.
Remember, just because you’ve had work now doesn’t mean that it won’t be affected over the rest of the year as clients tighten their belts, or go to the wall, or delay projects.
You had to make a declaration that your business had been affected when you claimed. I suspect that if the fickle finger of fate points at you and they investigate you they will expect to see a change in your turnover for that period/the coming months. If there isn’t one, and you can’t prove that you lost business due to the virus then maybe there will be penalties.
We have to pay tax on the amount awarded in any case so I’m just treating it as extra income (which is nowhere near what I’d have actually turned over in the last 3 months of clients hadn’t shut sites down) and being grateful to get it at all.